Perfect Love Overcomes Fear

God, You are perfect love, and perfect love casts out all fear.
Today, I will overcome my fears by giving place to You in my life.

Topic of the month: Love

Heart palpitates. Breaths increase and shallow. Cold sweat breaks out over the entire body. Blood pressure rises. Nausea overwhelms the stomach. Focus diminishes to tunnel vision. Reasoning flees and judgement ceases as the mind shuts down. Panic seethes through every part of the body. Anxiety scrambles the mind. All seems to be lost as fear tightens its unrelenting grip – suffocating the existence and possibility of peace, joy and life.

Fear. We’ve all experienced various levels of it. Fear is triggered by events, thoughts, circumstances, imaginations, situations… Whether a medical diagnosis, terrorist attack, loss of income, the loss of a loved one, an accident,  addiction, a requirement, success, failure, accountability, responsibility…even something as simple as a loud noise… Fear has the power to overtake, overwhelm, and paralyze.

The root of fear? Something or someone is threatening the safety, well-being, health, provision, success of ourselves and/or of those whom we love, combined with a responsibility or desire to “fix it,” but feeling unable or inadequate to do so.  Fear exposes powerlessness, weakness, lack, and presumes defeat. 

1 Timothy 1:7 says:

“For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.” 

Fear does not come from God. God provides us with power, love and a sound, disciplined mind. However, we choose what we focus on – the things we imagine – the things upon which we allow our thoughts to dwell. When faced with horrible, frightening circumstances, we choose to either see us as overcome or as overcomers, defeated or victorious. Fear skews our vision so that all we see is the bad and ugly. Faith, however, provides us the imaginations and the hope of the good.

Here’s the thing: In order to face fear effectively and victoriously, we must know God, His promises, who we are in Christ, and how to operate in faith. That’s too much to tackle in one short blog! However, there is an answer we all can cling to and benefit from today:

“There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment.” (1 John 4:18a)

Love is the answer. Love casts out all fear. If we know and understand, as we are taught by John, that God is Love, and we understand that He sent His Son, Jesus, because He loves us, and that His love is perfected in us as we believe and keep His word, knowing all His promises are yes and amen in Christ, fear will then have no place in us. God is the creator of life and the giver of every good and perfect gift. He is not the instigator of fear, but the answer for it – every time.

Today, be encouraged to trust in the love of God for you – knowing that as you trust Him, His love is being perfected in you and diminishing all fear and anxiety within you.

Father, thank You for Your perfect love. Thank You for Your Son, Jesus. Today, I ask in His Name, that You help me overcome fear by knowing, trusting in, and relying on Your love. Let Your love have its perfect work in me. I know Your promises are true and that You are faithful to perform them in my life. I refuse to focus on the negatives and commit to see myself enjoying the positives. You are the giver every perfect gift, including peace, joy, and life. These gifts are mine to experience as I am perfected in Your love. Thank You, Lord!

Holding Fast to Hope,

Maryann

Scripture References: 1 John 2:5; John 3:16; 2 Corinthians 1:20; James 1:17