No Fear in Love

I hear about love a lot. From friends, from books, from TV. I hear about fear and struggles and longing and disappointment. I hear messages of defeat and sadness and bitterness and hopelessness. Words of hope and joy fight to keep from getting drowned out by all the negativity and fear. Sometimes they lose the battle. Sometimes I hear that negativity, that fear, coming from myself.

Lately I've been thinking about what love really is. It isn't disappointment and hopelessness and discontent. It isn't being afraid of pain, rejection, or being alone. It isn't being afraid.

The bottom line: THERE IS NO FEAR IN LOVE

Love is not what we tend to make it out to be. It's not puppies and rainbows and Valentines. Nor is it some kind of young adult novel, characterized by angst where fear and insecurity mean things are going well. Instead, GOD is love. That's it. God. Is. Love.

When we find ourselves looking for love anywhere but God, we are bound to be disappointed. Why are we surprised that we struggle and face negativity when we take our eyes off of God, who IS love, and look for His perfect love from someone or anything else? God's love drives out fear. When we except His love for us, how can we fear that we will never be loved or fear being alone? Why do we fear disappointment? We aren't unloved. We aren't alone. God loves us. God is with us. God will never disappoint.

When you feel unloved and alone, where do you turn? What do you look to for comfort? Live in the love God has for you.

Today's Verses
1 John 4: 16, 18
And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them...There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.