PERFECT LOVE DRIVES OUT FEAR
1 John 4:18
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.
It's funny how we are fearful of so much in life. As little children we learn to fear at an early age. However, as we grow up we start to play around the edges of fear a little. To many it's exciting and enticing.
On our first trip to Kodiak Island Alaska, Linda and I hunted blacktail deer. One afternoon we decided to take a 4-wheeler up the mountain to an area that looked from below to be a large patch of wild cranberries, which the deer loved. We had to turn off the main trail just before a sign that read, "BEWARE OF BEARS - no foot or ORV traffic beyond this point".
Well, we turned just before the sign so I figured we were OK... at least legal. We twisted our way through a narrow trail in the thick tag alder for about half mile, then we walked another quarter mile up the mountain. There was bear sign everywhere and the smell of bears was thick in the air.
We stayed up there glassing for deer until just before dark. I turned to talk to Linda and noticed big tears running down her cheeks. She was ready to go back to the lodge.
Coming off the mountain in the dark was a very fearful thing. We imagined giant Kodiak Brown Bears at every turn in the trail. It was frightening... and not very exciting to us. We never cared to go up that mountain in the dark again.
Why do people go back to fearful things over and over again? Many seem to enjoy the fearful feeling. This is true of satanic things as well. People want to play around the edges of evil and fear too often. God says to flee sin and evil, don't embrace it.
1 John 4:18 tells us that we can dispel fear through love.
"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." (1 John 4:18)
Why should we fear anything when we have a heavenly Father that is all-powerful? Who can hurt us if we trust in Him?
PERFECT LOVE DRIVES OUT FEAR
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