Feeling Afraid? You Do Not Have to Do Anything About It

I cannot get enough of 1 John 4: 18 :

"There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love." (1 John 4: 18)
How do we know and believe that we have this perfect love? John answers that question beforehand:

"Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world." (1 John 4: 17)

Our new identity is in Christ. We are spirit before God, and the resurrection, God will grant us a new body:

"Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself." (Philippians 3: 21)

When God the Father sees us, He sees His Son, He sees His beloved, in whom we have been accepted (Ephesians 1: 6). Therefore, we can stand before God in full favor.

Yet the fear matter may still assaults us. I know that I am not afraid in my spirit. I know that this fear is not from God. I know that this fear is a lie. But the fears still come.

Then I received the greatest revelation yet. The fear that became ultimately manifest was the burden that I had to do something about the fear, that the fear was a signal that my love was not perfect. Yet it has never been my love, but rather it is God's perfected love which casts out all fear!

If we feel afraid, we just have to remind ourselves -- renew our minds (Romans 12:2) -- to the truth that God's love is perfected in us. His work is done. His love is made manifest in our lives, shed abroad in our hearts by His Spirit (Romans 5: 5) We do not have to repeat it to ourselves to prove it or to make it real. Fear brings with it a sense of torment, a sense that "something must be done" to make right something that "feels" wrong. Yet Jesus did not cry "It is Finished!" (John 19: 30) on the Cross for nothing.

If you feel afraid, that is a mere lie which may tempt you to do something or say something in order not to feel afraid. Instead of struggling with the fears in your flesh, rest in the truth of God's perfected love in your spirit.

Moreover, this perfect love in us casts out -- present tense, right now, all fear. We do not have to do anything but believe and receive that His perfect love is in us, through us, and for us, and that we do not need to add anything to it!