Overcoming Fear with Love

As I continue to press on in learning how to love the way that Christ loves me, I am being deeply challenged and stretched in areas that I didn't anticipate. Such as fear. What does love have to do with fear? God tells us in 1 John 4, that if we truly understand and believe the love which God has for us, then within us we have perfect love. And those who have perfect love need not fear, because we have confidence before God. "We have come to know and have believed the love which God has for us. God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God and God abides in him. By this, love is perfected with us, so that we may have confidence in the day of judgement; because as He is, so also are we in this world." vs. 16-17.

When I have confidence before God (knowing that I am loved and accepted by Him) - I am free. I no longer have to impress anybody...because the only One worth impressing already loves me (even in spite of me!). I am free to live and love as God desires. I do not have to be paralyzed by fear. I do not need to be held back by doubt. I can be vulnerable and courageous because I am certain of what I already have - Him.

For me, my most-common daily fear(s) is rooted in pride. When I think about the things that I fear most commonly (not the obvious tiger-standing-in-front-of-me-with-its-teeth-gnashing-at-me fear, but rather the day-to-day fears), in almost every instance, it is embarrassment. I don't want to be embarrassed. Ugh...ridiculous, I know. Selfish? Absolutely. When I give into these fears of mine, I am choosing to think only of myself -how it will affect me. I am not caring enough about others to think about them - how I might be a blessing to another, or show love to them in some way. By choosing to allow my fear to lead, I choose to forgo any potential opportunity to actively love someone whom may have crossed my path. By allowing the fear of making a fool of myself while speaking my new second language to win, I lose out on the opportunity to learn more about my neighbor and how I might best serve and love them. Fear is paralyzing, but love is liberating. Instead of choosing to allow my fear to lead, I need to remind myself of God's love for me and His acceptance of me, and to seek His strength to proceed in love and faith through prayer. I need to see these situations as an opportunity to love another and allow that love to cast out any fear. "There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear..." 1 John 4:18.

When I think about God's perfect love for me; how I am fully embraced as His dearly-loved child, then the varying opinion of others begins to sink lower and lower on my list of cares. Thoughts of myself seem to fade away, while the desire to love like Christ grows more and more in my heart. To choose love over fear is to choose to believe and delight in God's love over me and allow that to propel me to love others. I must remind myself that despite whatever might happen, God sees me just the same - as His daughter whom He deeply cares for. So, in that truth, I can boldly go out and fearlessly love -whether it is by using the language I am uncomfortable with, riding in a taxi with my ever-upset stomach issues, speaking in front of a group of people, or paying the pizza man (if you know me well, then you will probably laugh at this one). No matter what the outcome, I am accepted, my place is secure, and I have confidence to pursue love without giving way to fear.

This is not at all to say that I won't feel fearful...that I can't control. But instead, choosing to see past my fear. In the same way that if someone broke into my house and tried to attack one of my children, of course I would be fearful and scared, but that fear would be quickly pushed aside in light of doing what must be done...protect my children! It is choosing the better way despite the fear...in this case, it is choosing to love. I will choose to love others more than my desire to be liked, thought well of, or accepted by others. I will choose to love like Christ.

The meek man is not a human mouse afflicted with a sense of his own inferiority. He has accepted God's estimate of his own life: In himself, nothing; In God, everything. He knows well that the world will never see him as God sees him and he has stopped caring. -A.W. Tozer

"We love, because He first loved us." 1 John 4:19