Perfect Love Casts Out Fear

There is great liberation in knowing that God loves us not ‘because of,’ but ‘in spite of’ us. It’s not something we did, something we do, or something we will do. It’s just who God is. God is love. We love Him because He first loved us.

If we live under the impression that God loves us ‘because of something we do’, then we’ll live in fear that we could lose that love ‘because of something we do.’ When we realize that God’s love is beyond our deeds, and that He loves us not because of what we do but because of who we are, it changes everything. One might argue that if God loves us anyway, then we might as well live life as we please. But remember, God’s love is not a license towards laziness but a propellant towards diligence. It liberates us from guilt and shame, and frees us to live a life that is pleasing to God, because we love Him and do not want to do things that hurt Him.

The only time we can experience true peace and absolutely no fear is when we’re completely surrounded by love; and the thing is, we are! We just don’t realize it often enough. God’s love is showered upon us all of the time. It comes in various forms and meets us every day. When we realize and reside in the fact that we are always in the presence of our heavenly Father who loves us dearly, we will find peace that surpasses all understanding. Perfect love casts out all fear.

Reflection

Have you ever experienced that ‘peace that surpasses all understanding?’ Have you ever felt calmness, even in the middle of a storm, because you are surrounded by the love of the Father? If you’d like to experience that peace in greater measure, approach God with thanksgiving and ask Him to guard your heart and mind with that inexplicable peace.