John says in his first letter (4:18) "Perfect love casts out fear." Only God's love is perfect. As we receive/grasp/live in, his perfect love, we will be less and less fearful. Fear has, at points in my life, completely overwhelmed me. The severe mental illness I experienced in my twenties was an exercise in terror. Today, more than thirty years later, God has so flooded my heart with his love that, most of the time, I can relax and trust him.
This scripture suggests that fear and faith are opposites. I've thought of them lately as percentages of my heart. In the last few months, I've sensed an even deeper grasp of faith and loosening of fear. How about you? What percentage of each do
you carry? In the center of your heart, where they both reside, what
space does fear take up? How much does faith occupy?
When we consider the future of America's economy, are we 30/70 on faith/fear? When we imagine our old age, what percentage of our heart is fear? As we contemplate the results of a medical test, is a quarter or three-quarters of our heart resting in God's love?
Faith doesn't mean everything is as we want it to be. Faith means God is with us in everything, working out his plans and purposes for our lives.
Father, thank you that you are intimately involved in our everyday activities. Cast out a bit more fear, today, will you? Thanks. We submit ourselves to you, our good and gracious creator.