Perfect Fear Drives Out Love

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]"

#longExhale