There is no Love in Fear

1John4:18 says "There is no love in fear, but perfect love casts out all fear."

When we read this text we understand that fear is the opposite of love, that when fear is present, love cannot be seen or felt or even for that matter be spoken of. Paul writing to the Romans in chapter 8:15 says that "you have not received a spirit of fear which leads to death, but a spirit of adoption, by which we cry Abba, Father" Therefore the work of the Holy Spirit in us is to bring us out of fear into everlasting and resurrected life in Christ as God's adopted sons and daughters.

Paul speaking to Timothy says "for God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of love, power and sound mind." So when fear is absent in our lives, we should therefore be able to live out our lives in love, power and a sound mind.

I recently realised that I was reacting to fear in my life. This fear stemmed from my upbringing and a sense of rejection I felt when my parents divorced at nine. I remember growing up I had a fear of water, after nearly drowning on three different occasions. Yet when I was asked by my step father to join him in learning to scuba dive my fear of water vanished. This did not come easily and I remember the first time I had to do an open dive, that is into open water off the beach of Cronulla on the east coast of Australia. I remember vividly how I shook uncontrollably as I walked into the water off the beach into the dark unknown and realising what I felt was a watery grave.

Yet, despite my fear of water, I was able to fulfil my desire and overcome these insurmountable odds that I felt. Though I felt amazing almost immediately when I saw the fish and other beautiful aspects of this underwater world, it was not this which caused me to defeat my fear of water or drowning. But is was a fear of not being accepted by my stepfather which enable me to put to death this fear. Yet putting a fear of water to death only strengthened my fear of rejection and needing of acceptance.

So I traded one fear for another, yet neither of these fears lead to the freedom and desires that God has to release us His creation into perfect love. In realising my fear of rejection, I can now ask the Holy Spirit, the very spirit of Christ to work through this fear with His love and grace for my life.

2 Corinthians 10:5 says "We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ." I have learnt in recent years that I cannot trust my emotions and feelings. Indeed I feel that even the thoughts that I have must be measured against God's word and His promises for our lives. When we are under pressure, stressed or in the trials of life, it is then that we must truly examine our hearts, motives and every thought, knowing it is in these times that the works of the enemy, that is the devil, will be exposed in our lives.

Trials are truly, therefore, a real opportunity for God's everlasting fruit to be produced in our lives and the fruit of the enemy to be exposed and dealt with. What do we do with this bad fruit? We give it to God, we lay it down on the alter of our lives and allow God's Spirit to bring healing and restoration to our hearts. But it is in our willingness for righteousness to prevail and our desires for sanctification to complete it's work in us that makes this possible. As I am honest about the fruit of my life, only then can God's fruit be seen. When I am honest about my fears and allow God to expose them, only then can God's love be seen in me!

God Bless you on your journey with Christ and His Spirit
James