Perfect Love Casts Out Fear

There seem to be a lot of fear being spread through media and, therefore, through social media we see a lot of bad things lately like murders, disappearances, sex trafficking, stealing of children, hate crimes, pretty much anything horrible that you can think of.  As I read through Facebook before I fall asleep (which I try not to do anymore), it keeps me awake at night, thinking about the horrible things that are going on in our world.

People are killed and abducted in their homes. THEIR HOMES! Isn't anything sacred anymore? Why can't we feel safe letting our children go to school during the day or lie in bed at night without worrying about a home invasion? Because people are cruel. It's a sad fact, but it's true.

And that's not the only kind of fear there is. There is fear of the future. Fear that a past mistake will come back and haunt us. Fear, fear, fear all around! It's a lie of the devil, and it's something that we don't have to let bother us!

Sure, you're probably thinking that we can't stop something like that, and no, WE can't. But I know someone who can!

God has been trying to get across to me lately that He is the one who eradicates fear. Why should I fear something that I can't control? It all comes down to me feeling like I need to control things, and the truth is, I can't. I can't do anything about what's going on in our world. I can't do anything about anything. All I can do is put my faith in the One who knows what He's doing.

There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love. 1 John 4:18

This verse has been on my mind a lot, and God has been showing me things about this verse that have changed my entire thinking about fear. In this verse, this "perfect love" IS God.

If we fear anything, we can't love. If we can't love properly, then we're missing the whole point of love. Love is never fearful. It's trusting. It's faithful. It's honesty and truth. It is NEVER torment.

Fear is pure torment. We allowing fear to rule us, to dictate our actions. It's robbing us of sleep, of faith, and of trust. And it needs to STOP!

As I was looking through Facebook the other day, I came across this picture from Our Daily Bread.

On my Facebook page for this blog, I shared it and wrote: "‎Faith‬ is, yes, and we also have to remember that 'Perfect ‪‎love‬ casts out fear.' Once you have FAITH that God (Perfect Love) will take care of every situation, fear no longer has a leg to stand on."

Do you remember the when Jesus was in a boat with his disciples, and they were all terrified during the middle of a storm? This is what He said to them, "But He said to them, “Why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith?”" (Mark 4:40)

See, between faith and love (Him), God is telling us that we have the means to defeat fear. I liken it to a battle brought on by the devil himself. He is going to throw everything he can at us to make us scared, to keep us from having the faith to believe that God can and will change our situation. It's our job to not allow the devil to continue to keep us from God through fear.

Hebrews 13:6 (NKJV) says,

So we may boldly say:
“The Lord is my helper;
I will not fear.
What can man do to me?”

I think that "man" can refer to ANYTHING. No one or thing is going to hurt us because we have God on our side. And God is PERFECT LOVE that casts out fear. But notice the "boldly" here in the verse. It's our job to say this boldly, to believe it WITHOUT a doubt!

So how do you stop being fearful? You give it to God. I asked God once how I was supposed to just give Him something like that and let it go. I saw myself holding a pen, and God said, "Let it go."

"But how, God?"

"You just drop it."

So I dropped this pen, but a few minutes later, I picked it back up. "That's your problem," He had said. "You always want to pick up something that you should have given to Me."

It took many tries before He finally got that pen, and then it disappeared completely. I didn't pick it back up.

You're probably thinking that it stopped there. No. It didn't. The devil tried to hand it back to me, and I took a hold of it, scared to drop it again.

We're fighting a battle, but God has given us the means to "drop the pen" and make it disappear. His perfect love for us has eradicated all fear, but it's our job to have the faith to not pick up the pen again.

What will you choose today? Will you drop the pen and let it disappear, or will you keep holding onto it and live in fear? The choice is yours. God never gave us fear. The devil did. So which do you want to hold on to? Perfect love or lies?

Make 2013 Your Year!

Today we have another guest post from Sharon Johnson! 

   

It is never too late to make a change.  Change is good.  Change is also scary.  Fear is what stops people from making changes in their lives.  Fear traps people from moving forward in their lives. 

    

People get comfortable and don’t want to leave their comfort zone.  They settle.  Accepting the way their lives turned out.  Afraid to change.  Afraid to fail.  People are in a job they hate.  Accepting that there is nothing better out there for them.  They don’t have a college education and convinced themselves that they are too old to change.  Fear has paralyzed them.  Fear has stopped God from moving in their lives.  Fear is exactly where Satan wants you to be. 

 
If fear is stopping you from changing your life.  Stopping you from doing something you have always dreamed about, stopping you from what God has told you to do, then Satan has you in his grip.  It is time for you to get Satan out of your life and let God begin to work in your life. 

I am not saying it is going to be easy.  I am not saying that you will not be scared.  I am saying that if you are tired of your life.  If you want a change.  The only way to change your life is to face the fear head on.

    
I am a creature of habit.  I do the exact same thing every day.  When I get up to go to work, I have a routine.  I drink out of the same glass.  I eat with the same fork.  I live in my comfort zone.  Some say I have OCD Obsessive Compulsive Disorder.  It has limited me to what I can do.  When I can leave the house.  Where I can go.  I even have a hard time eating out in restaurants.  I accepted my fate.  I was willing to live in my comfort zone and die in my house.  This was my destiny.  A year ago, I couldn’t go on vacation with my boyfriend.  I was afraid to leave my house.  The What If’s kept popping up.  What if, my pipes break and the house is flooded.  What if someone breaks into my house?  What if?  So we stayed home.  I restricted myself to going to work and coming home.  I went nowhere else.  Fear had me.  Satan had control of my life.

    Psalms 103:4-5

     Who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion.  Who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.

I was in a pit and GOD says that he will redeem my life from the pit and crown me with love and compassion.  Not only will he get me out of the pit, he will give me the desires of my heart with good things.  That makes me want to do my happy dance.

I was in a job, I didn’t like anymore.  It was a good job.  I was getting older, the boxes were getting heavier and I knew I couldn’t do this job when I neared 60.  Having turned 50, I wanted a change.  Had no idea what, but I couldn’t live this life for the next 20-30 years.  There had to me more to life than work and hiding in my house. 

     

At work, there was a cashier position open.  It was the night shift.  I read and reread the notice.  I couldn’t learn to check.  I would be up front mostly by myself.  I would have more responsibility.  I told myself I couldn’t do it. Fear gripped me. They had to know today.  I didn’t have time to wait.  If I didn’t go in and put my name in, I would be stuck, nothing would change.

I walked into the mangers office and told him I wanted to apply for the position.  To my surprise, I got the job on the spot.

  

Then the fear crept in.  Co-workers asked why I wanted to be a cashier.  I only had 4 hours to learn how to check and then I was on my own. I know for a fact that the minute I decided to stop listening to Satan, GOD stepped in and started working in my life. 

I learned to check.  I learned how to use the ordering gun.  I learned to face fear and walk through my fear.  I am not saying that it was easy.  I am saying that if you don’t face your fear and stand up to Satan, nothing will ever change. 

For the first time in 5 years, I am going on a two week vacation with my boyfriend.  Is the What If’s still pounding in my head?  Yep.  Am I nervous about leaving my comfort zone?  Yep.

    

I want a change in my life.  I have to admit, that things are changing in my life.  I am listening to GOD.  Leaning on GOD.  I am trusting GOD. 

I am still OCD, but when I realize that it is stopping me from doing something, I remind myself that I am now dependant on GOD.  GOD love me and he redeemed me from the pit.  It is not always easy, but the more I turn to GOD, the easier it gets. 

No matter what you are going through or how old you are, it is never too late to change.  Ask GOD.  It won’t be easy, but with GOD on your side nothing is impossible.  2013 is a new year.  Make a change this year, start listening to GOD; he is who redeems your life from the pit.

I was tossed in the pit by Satan.  It was only by the Grace of GOD that I am no longer in the pit.  

In my book  My Bible—My God  www.amazon.com/dp/B006N0ZDGW  I tell how GOD and his word, the Bible saved my life.

http://iamwalkingwithgod.blogspot.com

http://sharonleejohnson.com