“[As] we live in God,
our love grows more perfect. So we will not be afraid on the day of judgment,
but we can face him with confidence because we live like Jesus here in this
world. Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear. If we are
afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not fully
experienced his perfect love”
(1 John 4:17-18,
NLT).
Early in the Apostle
John’s letter (1 John 2:28), he talks about the confidence we will have when
Christ returns because of our faith in God. At that time, people who have
turned away from God will feel afraid and helpless. It will be too late –
nothing more can happen. The opportunities people have had to understand God’s
Word or to accept Jesus – the Son of God – as Lord and Saviour will be gone,
and unbelievers will be speechless and unable to move because of
their fear. True Christians, on the other hand, will feel strong and sure; they
have put their belief in God.
Fears and anxieties are
powerful emotions. Whether we feel fear (when we know what we are afraid of),
or anxiety (when we feel afraid but we’re not sure what is causing it), such
feelings can make us want to back off, withdraw, run or hide. We will often
feel unsure or powerless when faced with a certain situation or person. And
running away may seem like the only solution. Some of us may feel that our
fears are controlling us; all we can think about is being afraid. Sometimes we
even get afraid of being afraid, so we avoid certain situations to keep from
becoming so strong that they overwhelm us.
But here is the great news
(!) for coping with our fears: “As we live in God,
our love grows more perfect… Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels
all fear.” As we walk in God’s light and live with God, our fears
are banished. There is no room for fear in love. It is like oil and water – the
two will just not mix. Love and fear are
like that; they are not compatible. God calls us to be strong, courageous
persons, not weak, cowardly nerds. “Love has no fear,
because perfect love expels all fear.”
Friends, let’s go back to
the confidence we will have as Christians when Christ returns. We know that “we will not be afraid on the day of judgment” or “fear of punishment” because we have accepted Christ (if
not, you’re sure to be afraid). Jesus
Christ Himself is on our side, His blood covers us – and God’s Spirit lives
within us. As we believe and have confidence in God about the future, we
can learn to cope with our fears on a day-to-day basis. We need to recognize
and deal with our fears rather than avoid them. Then we can pray that God will
help us face those situations that make us so afraid, to give us the courage to
walk towards our fears rather than away from them. Well, walking through our
fears may feel like walking through a long, dark tunnel. If we think about how
long the tunnel is we may be tempted to give up. But if we take one step at a
time, soon we feel stronger and our fears begin to lose their power. Soon the
light at the end of the tunnel gets brighter and brighter, and we can find our
way more easily than before. No fear.
The Apostle Paul reminds
us that “God has not given us a
spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love and self-discipline”
(2 Timothy 1:7). That is a gift God has given us. But it’s like a Christmas
present. If we put a present away and don’t unwrap it, the gift won’t do us any
good. And the gifts of courage and love
won’t be ours until we claim them and ask God to change whatever habits have
been giving us problems. And this love we experience with God becomes more and
more perfect (or mature and complete). “As we live in God,
our love grows more perfect.” It just keeps getting better and
better toward perfection in Christ.
So the next time you feel
like running for your life, stop! Remember the courage God promises to give
you. Make use of it. Face your fears. Claim God's promises and words. And your fears
will do the running instead of you. Amen?
Come let us “fully experienced
his perfect love.”
With Christ. No fear.
THINK BIG.
START SMALL. GO DEEP.
No comments:
Post a Comment