“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. 1 John 4:18
Heavenly Father… Oh, how our hearts need to catch up with our heads, especially in matters of the Gospel and your grace. There’s a big disparity between what we confess as our creed and what we enjoy as our experience.
Theologically, we know that when Jesus died on the cross, he exhausted the judgment we deserve. You then dazzled and dressed us in Jesus’ righteousness; and you poured your love into our hearts copiously. Because you have hidden our lives in Christ, you love us right now as much as you love Jesus. We know this is what the Bible teaches…
But Father, make it palpably, unavoidably, undeniably real in our hearts. We want to revere you (love, adore, trust) more than we fear anything and anyone. By the love of Jesus and the power of the Holy Spirit, drive out the nefarious, destructive fears that haunt, taunt, and want us to live like Father-less orphans, not as your beloved children.
What do we fear more than we adore and trust you? Sometimes it’s people. Other days it’s sickness and death. Then there’s world events, climate change, not being enough, or having enough. Oh yeah, then there’s loneliness, rejection, aging, and the baggage of regrets we still lug around.
Father, this isn’t the way it’s supposed to be. May your perfect love become the predominant reality in our lives. Fill us with passionate love, grateful awe, and wholehearted trust in you. So Very Amen.