Journal Entry ~ 04/10/19

18 There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love.
19 We love because he first loved us. - 1 John 4:18-19

There are two types of fear referenced in the Bible - one will bring you life, and the other will bring you death, one is profitable and the other is detrimental, one is encouraged and the other is sin. 

Fear of the Lord is the first type of fear. It is a reverence for who He is and all He has done. It is a deep respect or even an awe at the acknowledgement of all that He is. It is not the type of fear that makes us run from Him, but rather bow down in honor of who He is. This fear motivates us to respect the Lord and His commandments. We are told in scripture that there are many benefits to this type of fear - it is the beginning of all wisdom, it brings peace and contentment, and it leads to life. 

The other kind of fear is a distressing emotion that keeps us from moving. It is a belief - whether real or imagined - that there is a real danger of evil or pain in the road ahead. This fear causes us to stop and change directions. It can cause feelings of dread or apprehension. While we were given this fear from God to protect us in certain life-threatening situations, we allow this same fear to over our hearts when the situation is not so dire. 

Fear of the wrong things will keep you from becoming all God intends for you to be. It will limit your potential, it can even even ruin and devastate your life. God does not want you living a life filled with fears. It is no coincident that there are 365 “fear not” commands in the Bible. That’s one for every day of the year. God does not want us to live in fear. 

The hard truth is fear is sin. Many of us do not want to acknowledge our fears are sinful because that means we need to lay them down and ask for forgiveness, but we are told multiple times in scripture not to be afraid. Fearing anything is a lack of trust that God is sovereign over all things in your life; it is placing a priority on something greater than Our Father in heaven. There is nothing greater or more powerful than our God, not even our fear. 

This verse reminds us that God is love. The more you fill your life with God, the less fear you are going to have.  


Press on ~ you are loved 💗

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