No Fear In Love?
{ FEBRUARY 13, 2016 }
I don’t care how cheesy it may sound– I LOVE love!
I love songs about love, movies, books, TV shows– all of it!
That being said, I’m not embarrassed to confess that I watch The Bachelor. (Don’t you judge!) There is one thing, besides drama and complete chaos, that is consistent throughout the various seasons.One thing that is said more than anything else. One thing that is said in the hearts of almost every human who’s ever lived…
“I’m just so afraid I’m going to get hurt.”
This fear is universally understood and encountered. It’s human nature!
We expect to be hurt. We expect to fall short or fail in some way- we expect that we are not good enough for the one we love. We expect that they’ll see who we really are and they’ll walk away.
And honestly, this fear is often realized. Hardly anyone can say that they’ve never lost in love- it happens! But, it’s been said a million times and I’ll say it once more- that it is better to have loved and lost than to never have loved at all.
Something incredible happens when we love. When we love selflessly, we experience something extraordinary. We partake in part of the character of the Father.
♫ To love another person, is to see the face of God ♫ -Les Miserables
Lately, its been a popular thing to say “There’s no fear in love!” But what in the world does that mean!? Didn’t I just say that basically everyone is afraid to love? Absolutely! Love is terrifying.. but perfect love?
1 John 4:18 says, “There is no fear in love because perfect love drives out fear!”
Do you ever hear something that makes you want to fall asleep because its so blissfully restful for your soul? That sentence gives me that feeling every time.
I’m not so much terrified of getting hurt from love, rather I basically expect it. If I catch feelings for someone I honestly just assume that it isn’t going to end in my favor.
But this verse changes everything.
People are flawed and messy and can never love perfectly.. yet we have the absurd privilege of being the objects of perfect love.
When we were at our worst Christ looked at us in perfect love and gave everything just to be with us forever. He isn’t mad at us. He isn’t disappointed. He isn’t trying to fix us up and make us prettier. He likes us as individuals- our corks and silly things that make us, us!
And He is recklessly in love with us.
Yet, so often, I find myself terrified of the future. I’m so afraid that I’ll never amount to anything or reach my goals in life. I’m afraid I’ll never pay of my college loans (can I get an amen, students?). I’m afraid I’ll end up alone in life. OR that if I do get married and have kids that they’ll all hate me or that I’ll ruin them somehow.
Or, worst of all, I’m afraid of letting my Savior down.
Every single time I tell the Lord about these fears, He simply replies, “But, I love you!”
What if we believed that? What if we believed that High King of Heaven loves us? Not just a little bit, but a crazy amount! This changes everything. It changes everything because that simple, “But, I love you!” goes so far beyond the surface.
“BUT, I LOVE YOU!” FROM THE LORD SAYS SO MUCH MORE THAN IT EVER COULD FROM US.
IT SAYS:I will provide for you. (Philippians 4:19)
I will never leave you. (Deuteronomy 31:6)
I will heal you. (Isaiah 53:5)
I will restore you. (Jeremiah 31:4)
I will empower you. (Acts 1:8)
I will pull you close to My heart. (James 4:8)
I will fill your life with good things (Psalm 103:5)
I will say, “yes” to the desires of your heart when you seek Me. (Psalm 37:4)
I have a plan for your life that is for My glory and your good! (Romans 8:28)
You will never be hopeless. (Romans 15:13)
You are safe in My arms. (Proverbs 18:10)
We can rest in this Love. This is a Love that we can face the storms with. This a Love that we can dare to dream bigger with.
He isn’t going to break our hearts. He isn’t going to run away when things get messy. He isn’t going to be disappointed in us when we aren’t perfect. There is nothing we could ever do that would cause Him to love us less. Ever!
Today is the day to let go of fear and fall deeply in love with the One who is recklessly and completely in love with you.
Happy Valentines Day,
Liafaith
