There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.
We all feel tempted to fear at times, but we do not need to give in to this temptation, because God loves us perfectly and His love drives fear out of our lives. Because He loves us, He takes good care of us and helps us. We can rest in His love, confident and secure in the knowledge that it never wanes. He loves us all the time, in every situation.
When we realize we’re allowing fear to rule us or influence our decisions, it signals that we need to grow spiritually and keep learning about and experiencing God’s love for us.
The apostle Paul writes that nothing, no matter how bad it seems, can remove God’s love from us or distance us from Him:
For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.Romans 8:38–39 (NIV)
Notice the confidence that comes across in this passage. Paul says he is “convinced” that nothing can separate us from God’s love. He says that nothing “in all creation” can drive a wedge between us and God’s love. This includes whatever situation you’re facing right now. You can trust and rest in the assurance of His love for you.
When you feel afraid, you can confront your fears by thinking about how much and how perfectly God loves you. This will make you strong, fearless, secure, and confident.
Prayer of the Day: Thank You, God, for loving me perfectly. Help me to remember that Your love casts out fear.
