“Building Your Life on Values That Last” in American Sign LanguageSample

God’s Answer for Your Fear
By Rick Warren

“We know the love that God has for us, and we trust that love …. because God’s perfect love drives out fear.” (1 John 4:16a, 18a NCV)

I’ve talked to thousands of people about why they don’t fully trust God. Usually, it’s one of three things. People are afraid that if they give their lives fully to God, they’ll lose their freedom, they’ll lose their fun, and God will turn them into some kind of religious fanatic.

None of that sounds inviting.

The bottom line is people are afraid. Yet God has an answer for our fear of trusting him. The Bible says, “We know the love that God has for us, and we trust that love …. because God’s perfect love drives out fear” (1 John 4:16a, 18a NCV).

God loves you. You were created as an act of God’s love. Over and over in the Bible, God makes this clear. God thought you up and created you to love you and to let you love him.

The greatest expression of God’s love is Jesus. God came to Earth as a human being to show us what he is really like. He then showed us how much he loved us by dying on the cross.

The cross tells us once and for all that we can fully trust God. We can trust him with our lives because he gave his Son’s life for us.

If God is telling the truth in his Word that he loves you, you know he won’t take away your freedom or your fun or turn you into a fanatic.

God isn’t a cosmic killjoy. He’s your heavenly Father.

The more you know God, the more you trust him — and the less you fear him.

Talk It Over

What scares you the most about fully trusting God?

How have you seen fear get in the way of someone else’s faith in God?

Why do you think understanding the love of God helps you trust him more?