Loving Others Without Fear 

 “But now, thus says the Lord, who created you, O Jacob, and He who formed you, O Israel: ‘Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; you are Mine.”—Isaiah 43:1 (NKJV)   

By Lauren Chastain

So many problems in marriage and family stem from fear. 

Maybe your spouse is incredibly late from work. He is not answering his phone. You hear sirens in your neighborhood, and you start to panic. Why isn’t he answering the phone? Is this the end? How will I live without him? What about the children? He is your one true love. And then moments later, he walks in the door and the love and fear you felt so intensely quickly morphs into anger. “You never answer your phone. You always come home late. You don’t care about me.”

Or maybe your son comes home with a terrible grade. Why didn’t he study harder? Why didn’t I know he had a test? He’s never going to make it into college. Everyone will know I am a horrible parent. Quickly, fear turns to anger, and the lecturing begins. 

Many times, we fear greatly because we love deeply. But instead of feeling valued and loved, our family member feels worthless and unloved. That is why we need this verse in Isaiah so desperately for our marriages and families. 

“Fear not.” Sounds easy . . . but it is one of the most difficult tasks we will ever strive to accomplish. Thankfully, the answer to how we do that is in the rest of the verse. Isaiah 43:1 tells us we are the creation of a mighty God. He made us. He formed us. Our redemption lies in Him alone and not in any other accomplishment. He has called us by name, and we are His. We have nothing to fear. 

Knowing those truths will empower us to walk through whatever happens. Whatever the future holds, we are His. We are redeemed. Not only that, but our spouses and children are also His creation. And He loves them even more than we do. Yes, they are entrusted to our care, but ultimately they are responsible to God. Their redemption does not depend on us. God is the Redeemer, the Creator, and Sustainer of all. Rest in that today. Let go of your fears and be free to love your family with the power of the Holy Spirit, because there is no fear in love. 

DIG: Ask the Lord to reveal ways you revert to anger when you are feeling fear of rejection or loss. 

DISCOVER: Read Isaiah 43:1–21 to see how the Lord cares for and protects us with His mighty power.

DISPLAY: Confess areas of weakness to your spouse or a trusted friend. Ask for prayer to see a breakthrough.