“perfect love casts out fear.” first john 4:18

ever wonder why it’s written that way?
“perfect love casts out FEAR.”
why fear?
why not hate? injustice? sin? evil? loneliness? death?
i think it’s because fear is at the
the root of everything opposite of love.
hate? fear of being controlled.
bitterness? fear of injustice.
jealousy? envy? fear of no provision.
anger? fear of being wrong.
guilt? fear of no forgiveness.
vengeance? fear of no accountability.
loneliness? fear of being invisible.
prejudice? fear of being outnumbered.
and those are just a few.
as opposed to love…
gratitude > thankful Love chooses to give.
generosity > experiencing Love’s provision.
trust > watching Love keep its promises.
faith > believing Love exists, the seen and the unseen.
lack of vengeance > trusting Love to act justly.
lack of guilt > celebrating that Love paid the price.
joy > realizing Love is eternal.
hope > remembering that Love never ends.
peace > confident that Love is sovereign over all.
so it seems i might be struggling with a good bit of fear.
i don’t much like that.
then again, i’m filled with the perfect love of Jesus.
and i very much like that.
i sure do.
because that perfect love inside me?
that perfect love throws down fear.
THROWS. IT. DOWN.
(stop here and do your praise dance)
so God, when fear threatens….
remind me
of the perfect love of Jesus
that throws down fear
making all kinds of room
for perfect love
to rise up and fill me
from the inside out.