We know that we live in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in him and he in God. 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 him. In this way, love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment, because in this world we are like him. 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.
Character Check How might the love of God allay my biggest fear?
In Business Terms I find two basal emotions. The positive one is love and the negative one is fear. Every other negative emotion is ancillary and can be traced to fear: I fear I’m not doing enough; I fear I’ve done the wrong thing; I fear I won’t do the right thing. I fight the fear of inadequacy, of not getting the job done, of not being the kind of person I could be.
The answer is to get rid of my fear. But how do I do that? Well, I don’t do it. God can do it through me. The key is we don’t have enough faith in the Lord. Love is letting go of fear. And God is love. And perfect love casts out fear. If I don’t love God enough to let go of my fears, then I try to handle them myself-and go on fearing.
In the Old Testament, Jacob was at the ford of the Jabbok. He had wronged his brother, and he felt such guilt and alienation he was afraid to meet him the next day. So he wrestled with God, wrestled with his fear. But then he embraced his fear-went right into the teeth of it-crossing the river and meeting his brother. I find myself embracing my own fear of mortality when I go into the hospital where someone is dying. I embrace my fear of producing less than my best on Sunday morning by going right up into that pulpit.
—Robert Hudnut
Something to Think About Only he who can say, “The Lord is the strength of my life,” can say, “Of whom shall I be afraid?” – Alexander MacLaren
