If you’ve tried to rent a movie lately, or even scrolled through your TV guide to watch something, you’ve noticed the plethora of scary, frightful, even downright evil that has taken over the media industry. Personally, I hate it. And as Christians we need to understand this truth:
Fear is the polar opposite of God.
How, you ask? The Bible says in 1 John 4:18, “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment.” Just a few verses prior, we are told,“God is love” (1 John 4:8b). In other words, GOD is the epitome of LOVE. Wherever you see the word God, you can replace it with the word love and it will mean the same thing–and visa-versa.
So look at our scripture again: “There is no fear in GOD; but perfect GOD casts out fear, because fear involves torment.” Anything that God wants to cast out is probably something you and I don’t even need to be messing with. So isn’t it interesting how the devil has taken something on the complete opposite spectrum of God and turned it into a multi-billion-dollar-a-year industry?
By nature, I’m a jumpy person. I just am–I don’t know why. And my middle son has taken advantage of how easily I can be spooked. He has so many videos of me coming around a corner and jumping because he was waiting on the other side. He keeps telling me he’s going to put together a montage of my screams on Instagram and share the laughs with his friends. I laugh with him because I know it’s all in fun (although he’s gotten punched several times too because that’s my natural reflex when scared).
My point is, how did the devil trick God’s children into thinking fear was funny and okay? I believe it starts in innocence (like with my son) and I laugh with the rest. But what I’ve noticed is:
The more comfortable we get with fear, the more we allow into our lives. And that’s the trick.
Notice “…fear involves torment.” One translation says, “Fear is crippling” (MSG). And I have to agree. Which is why God casts out fear (of any kind) from His presence and off His children. I hope you’re seeing the power of Almighty LOVE (God). In contrast to fear, there’s no competition. LOVE is always greater than fear.
I want to encourage you to evaluate the amount of fear you’ve allowed into your life (in any form). “There’s no room in love for fear. Well-formed love banishes fear. Since fear is crippling, a fearful life –fear of death, fear of judgment– is one not yet fully formed in love” (1 John 4:18, MSG). Or we could say, a fearful life is one not yet fully formed in GOD. So I hope you’ll lift your heart and eyes and look steadfastly on the One who casts out fear. His love is from everlasting to everlasting.
