December 28th, 2011

"uhh, no fear...?" 1 John 4:18 "Now, there is no fear in love" I must admit, I've struggled for years over this verse...I've told myself so often..."you're always afraid, worried, anxious, you must not love God"... One commentator writes: "The completeness of love means we do not cower in fear before God, dreading His judgment, either now or in the day of judgment. We know all the judgment we ever deserved – past, present, and future – was poured out on Jesus Christ on the cross." Another writes: "If fear has gripped your heart, it's because God's love is not perfected in you. You're not totally assured that God loves you." He goes on: "I'm not really sure that this is gonna work for good, this may destroy me. This may be the end of my road. This may be all she wrote. This looks bad, I don't see any way out. What am I gonna do?" You see folks...this is me! The second commentator goes on...Well, you see, if God's love were perfected, if you really knew God loved you, so totally loved you, that whatever and anything that may happen to you can only happen because God allows it to happen and He loves you supremely, then I don't worry about what happens to me. "Man, what a mess, but I know that God loves me and so He's gonna work it out some way or other, you know. Well, they just foreclosed and took away my house, you know, but God loves and He's gonna work out something, you know." Oh, the confidence that comes when I know that God loves me and His love is perfected in me, I can accept what comes without fear..........I've had flashes of this over my years, but right now??? Well... right now, and honestly for quite a 'season', I confess...I'm in quite the 'funk'...and I'm very sure, I'm "no fun" to live with!! In fact, just last night, my bride said to me..."where's your faith?" So....my battle rages on...