When I was an eighth grader – I don’t know how I remember
that – but when I was that young, some missionaries from the US came to my
school and made a puppet show
presentation with 1 John 4:18 as its focal point. One of the puppets was mortified by the dark
and a relative told him that whenever he grew afraid he should remember that if
he focused on God’s love he would become less fearful. To this day I remember the riotous laughter coursing
through the auditorium as the puppet, spooked by a noise in the dark, ran in
circles yelling,
“Perfect fear casts
out all love”
“Perfect fear casts
out all love”
“Perfect fear casts
out all love”
How profoundly true! If we are fearful we focus on nothing but the object of our fear. How then could love be present?
In the last several weeks I’ve found my thoughts nearly inundated
with feelings of fear. And in those
thoughts I believed my fear was merited too: an athlete, half my age with no known
illness collapsed on a football field and died; a former schoolmate lost her
battle with what is now seemingly the leading cause of death among women (1 in
3 according to some recent statistics I read); a young man, a colleague in the
profession, my age…one minute complained of feeling ill, the next was found
dead in a restroom. And in my mind I have
been that frantic puppet. Fearful both
for myself and those I hold dear.
But Scripture advises that it is love that drives out fear. So
What does focusing on God’s love mean?
I’ve had to ask myself. Does it
mean I won’t get ill? I won’t have negative experiences? I won’t die ‘unexpectedly’? Does it mean I’ll never again feel weak,
experience fear or question circumstances?
Fear is a natural, human response:
Gideon feared the Midianites so much it took him a while to
accept God’s assignment. When he did, he
led a small army to victory over the mighty Midianites.
Peter felt fear after he’d stepped out of the boat to meet Jesus
on the tumultuous sea, so much so that he started to sink – he found help when
he cried,
“Lord save me”
The Disciples, after Jesus had been crucified, locked
themselves away for fear of the Jewish leaders but were later emboldened by
Jesus’ resurrection.
As a Christian woman I can and should take comfort in the
promises God has made to never leave me nor forsake me. Even as I type I feel God’s rod and staff
comfort that he provides even in the shadow of death. The reminder that I will have “trouble [persecution; suffering]” does
not exist without the parallel assurance that I can be “brave [take courage/heart]!” because Jesus has “defeated [conquered/overcome] the world”.
Fear? What fear? "Whenever I am afraid I will trust [God]"
Fear? What fear? "Whenever I am afraid I will trust [God]"
#longExhale
