Perfect Love Casts Out Fear

Today, I’m not afraid…too much.  But after forty-six years of living, way over half of that knowing the Sovereign and trusting Him for my very life, Fear has raised its ugly head to antagonize me.  Fear has studied me well and practiced for generations to find effective tactics to get to people like me. 

I was never one prone to worry - Partial naivety and partial trust in God.  But now, real life concerns and irrational fears meld together and threaten to tear me apart on some days.  This Fear, when I am not consumed by its attack, and when I think of it or talk of it, confuses me.  It seems my mind and body betray me to these attacks. It is in no way in accordance with everything that I know to be true.  I don’t understand, given the Truth that I know as a foundation, how it can even plague me in any way.   And yet, it’s there – just around the corner - a look, a word, a whisper of past rejection or future hopelessness – and the biggest one: that somehow my life won’t glorify the One I love. 

But that’s not my God speaking.  Fear is another name for the one who comes to steal, kill, and destroy. Perfect Love is another name for the Almighty, Sovereign, Holy King of the Universe.

And Perfect Love casts out Fear.

It doesn’t mean that Fear will quit trying.  He knows my current weaknesses. He thinks he can tear me away from the Lover of my soul by all these tactics. He could if it was up to me, and he would if it was up to him.  But it isn’t up to me or him.  Neither of us is Sovereign or Almighty or Holy or King.

So Fear will lose in the end.  This I know…for the Bible tells me so…Yes, Jesus Loves Me. 

This Love, Perfect Love, will cast out Fear and will give me the strength to walk on -  to Live in and to Live out His Love.

In this, the Almighty is glorified, and the biggest fear is swallowed in victory.