“There is no fear in love, but perfect love fasts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love.” 1 John 4:18
So many people live in the bondage of fear daily for many different reasons whether spiritual or material. They live in fear that they are not good enough. They live in fear that they will relapse. They live in fear that they can’t pay their bills this month. Fear surrounds us. Fear is a liar.
Love and fear cannot coexist. In the same way, worship and sin cannot coexist. Anything that deviates from God’s will is sin, so I would argue that living in trepidation is living in sin.
1 John 4:7-21 discusses what love is and what fear is. Love derives from God for God is love. Anybody who does not love does not know God. Love is not a feeling, it is an action and a way of living. When we are not doing our daily spiritual disciplines like praying or reading the Bible, we are not truly loving God, and we consequently live in fear instead of peace. When we are not worshiping, we are not loving God. We are called to worship Him in everything we do. How can we do that if we are not in relationship with him.
God abides in us. We are beloved children of the Creator of the galaxies. The only thing we have to fear is being apart from God. However, God’s perfect love for believers casts out the fear of wrath and eternal punishment. We love God because He first loved us.
How can we love God? We live in that love and freely give that love to those around us. God’s love is perfect, and He perfectly loves His creation. When we live in fear, we are not living in love.
Being afraid of not being good enough is saying that who God says you are is not enough. Living in fear of relapse is saying we don’t trust God. Living in fear of material things is saying we don’t believe God will provide. Perfect love casts out fear.
Imagine being on a roller-coaster as a child. You are scared to death. Now imagine your father is sitting right behind you and places his hands on your shoulder. You realize you are safe. Next time you fear, feel God’s hands on your shoulder. You are safe and you are loved.