Beat Fear by Walking in Love

    A week ago I was singing in our little amateur Friday morning worship and prayer set when I got ambushed.  Basically, I sing for selfish reasons.  I admit it.  I am not the best singer and only learned what singing "on-key" was in my 20s.  But that doesn't even mean I do it well or do it all the time.  No, I sing because I want to see what God is going to do and say when we sing His songs and His Word.  Something unexpected usually happens.

     Last week, we were reading and singing and praying out of I John 4 starting at vs. 16

16 We have come to know and have believed the love which God has for us. God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. 

17 By this, love is perfected with us, so that we may have confidence in the day of judgment; because as He is, so also are we in this world. 

18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love. 

19 We love, because He first loved us. 

20 If someone says, "I love God," and hates his brother, he is a liar; for the one who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. 

21 And this commandment we have from Him, that the one who loves God should love his brother also.

  And of course I realized some things as we sang and examined this portion of scripture.  I saw LOVE being more like a circle.  I know, you might be picturing scenes from the Lion King, but that is not quite what I am seeing.  

   First, we get saved-we fall in love with Jesus for the first time.  He is glorious.  We feel totally different.  But then as time goes on, we can lose our Love.  Fear starts to creep in.  Hidden thoughts of criticism towards others flood our minds.  Bitterness tries to take root as we get hurt along the journey.  Pride-The "I am better than them" syndrome-sneaks in there without us even realizing as we pull ourselves up by our own boot straps (so to speak).  Trauma tries to take hold as we pass through difficult life events.  Lies try to move in and set up camp.  And then finally fear tries to cut us off from others.  Fear we will be criticized, rejected and unforgiven.    Fear we will get what they get or become like "them" if we reach out and just  . . . show love?  

  At this point, the enemy has us where he wants us.  We are paralyzed.  We didn't finish or complete the circle.  Somewhere something tried to choke out and harness the unending, pervasive, persevering LOVE of God.  We DID receive it, right?  So where did it go?

    " . . . the one who fears is not perfected in love."  Not completed.  Unfinished.  Half-way there, but definitely NOT there.  Filled with fear.  Stuck.  Compromised.  

    We've all been there.  ALL OF US.  Because we are all in a battle.  And we all have an enemy who wants us unfinished and paralyzed.  But the Spirit within us urges us ON.  The One who COMPLETES the Work He started in us beckons us to follow Him.   He is the One saying to our Spirit, "keep going".  He is the One who meets us in the midst of trauma and darkness and says "This won't destroy you.  You will LOVE again."  He is the One who exposes our inner hidden thoughts of pride, criticism and un-forgiveness.  He gives us the power to forever take them captive and shove them off the plank of our weary shipwrecked lives.  

     If we want to leave the prison of Fear, we HAVE to complete the circle.  We have to get rid of our hidden critical thoughts and "take them captive." as it says in II Corinthians 10:5.  I remember years ago my YWAM leader saying that many times a person feels constantly criticized because they are constantly critical.  At this point, the fear of man takes hold.  I was so convicted.  When I really examined my thought life it was filled with criticism towards others.  And, I also had hidden bitterness, which along with all my critical thoughts left me feeling condemned and ostracized.  God wasn't doing it.  I was.  

    Ooh and the hidden pride.  It tip toes in the back door of our thoughts so stealth you hardly even know its there.  It quietly, but emphatically says in our minds in first person, "I am better than you."  But the funny thing is it has a flip-side that also tells you "You aren't as good as everyone else." Somehow it says that you are unworthy.  Both sides of the coin are lies.  Both cut you off from knowing your security in Christ ALONE.  The circle is cut short again.  You are afraid to be loved and to love.  

    So was I convicted?  . . . YES.  And more than that, I was convinced.  "We love because He first loved us."  That undying, unending, stronger-than-death love is REAL.  We can rediscover it.  We can re-ignite it.  He can clean us up.  He can set us free.  We can be COMPLETE and PERFECTED in love again.  We can receive His love again and GIVE IT AWAY.  Fear can be driven out.  Boldness can be our name once more.  He can be our song.