Understand Fear And Embrace God's Love

Unhealthy fear entered the world the moment Adam and Eve sinned. The couple hid from God. When God asked, "Where are you?" Adam replied, "I was afraid… so I hid" (Genesis 3:10). Adam was afraid that God would punish him. The deepest root of fear is condemnation; the feeling that God is cross with you. "But God sent His son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins" (1 John 4:10). Jesus took your condemnation. God wants you to have confidence before him. You truly start living when you know God unconditionally loves you. The Holy Spirit gives us the experience of God's love for us. This is the work of the Holy Spirit; God picks us up in His arms and reassures us of His love for us. Believe God's love, we know and rely on the love God has for us. (1 John 4:16). The Greek word used for 'rely' is the same word as belief. Even when we know and have experienced God's love, we need to keep on believing. 

Up to about four months old, babies do not have the capacity to believe something exists if they cannot see it. If you hide a toy it no longer exists as far as they are concerned. They reach a stage where if you hide a toy, they will keep on looking for it. They realize that objects exist even when you cannot see them. This is a sign of Christian maturity: when we continue to believe in God's love even when we do not see it or feel it. We remember and recall. As we believe in the sun even when it is not shining, we continue to believe in God's love, even in times of darkness, when we do not feel His love.

Complete the love of God. No one has ever seen God, but if we love one another, God lives in us, and His love is made complete in us (1 John 4:12). "Perfect love drives out all fear" (v.18). The more you love Him and demonstrate that reality by loving one another, the less you are prey to fear. Develop a culture of love - giving and receiving love. This is the opposite of competition and gossip. The more love you give to others, the more fear disappears.