18 There is no room in love for fear. Well-formed love banishes fear. Since fear is crippling, a fearful life—fear of death, fear of judgment—is one not yet fully formed in love. (The Message)
It seems like there are all kinds of things that come our way that invite us to be afraid. If it isn't spiders or snakes it's illnesses or finances. Every time we turn around there is something that we can't control that makes us uneasy. If we don't have enough of our own fear to face on a regular basis there is always someone else willing to send us an e-mail with the latest "news" which we should become concerned about. We are a culture that has become obsessed with safety and a desire to limit our exposure to risks.
At the same time we seem to want to limit our risk we have seen a huge increase in extreme sports and some of the top grossing films have been horror films of late. It is almost as if we are trying to face our fears in as controlled an environment as possible. It is ok if we are afraid for 90 minutes in a movie theater or we risk bodily harm by speeding down a mountain trail on a bike but don't let us consider the fact that we do not have ultimate control over our world.
Into this world the Bibles tells us not to be afraid, that perfect love casts out fear, and that when we trust in Jesus there is nothing that can separate us from the love of God. Most of us want to get to the point where we live our lives without fear but it just doesn't seem to come naturally. We read self-help books, we talk to counselors, we avoid those things that raise our anxiety levels, and we even throw ourselves out of perfectly good airplanes all in the hope of facing down our fears and living a fearless life. Yet we find it difficult to throw ourselves into the hands of God and trust Him in all things. Maybe instead of facing the fears of this world we would be better off embracing the one God who will hold us through into eternity where there will be no tears, illness, pain, or anything to fear.
Some things to ponder and share with others:
- What situations cause you to feel fearful?
- Have you ever overcome a fear or phobia? How did you do this?
- How might you turn to God the next time you are in a situation where you are beginning to feel afraid?
- Is there a way for you to bring God's love to someone else who is feeling fearful right now?
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