In the face of fear, there are usually two responses:

• I just need more faith
• I just need to let go / get over it

And the pressure builds for us to overcome our fear.

We often think that increasing our productivity will decrease our fear… that adding to our holy to-do lists will quiet the enemy’s whispers. Or maybe if we’ll just believe enough, the fear will go.

1 John 4:18 tells me a different story.

What if the path to overcoming fear was through Jesus, not my own efforts?

What if I relied more on God’s love than on my level of faith?

What if the best way to put fear in its place was love?

“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

Fear doesn’t get to coexist with love. When love arrives, fear has to flee. God’s perfect, complete love puts fear in its place by driving it out. Fear is cast out from love’s presence.

“There is no fear in love [dread does not exist], but full-grown (complete, perfect) love turns fear out of doors and expels every trace of terror! For fear brings with it the thought of punishment, and [so] he who is afraid has not reached the full maturity of love [is not yet grown into love’s complete perfection].” – 1 John 4:18 (AMPC)

This doesn’t create shame or condemnation when we struggle with fear. We can feel afraid, acknowledge our fear, and then open our hearts and minds to receive His love. To allow God’s agape love, His benevolent affection, to reign over the things that cause us fear, and fear itself.

“And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.” – 1 Corinthians 13:13

Faith and hope are significant and necessary, but the biggest, most excellent virtue is love.

It can be hard to receive His love when you’re hard on yourself. It’s difficult to trust that He cares for you when you’re well aware of the enemy’s lies and deception, and when your inner critic threatens to drown out the truth of God’s word.

Self-compassion is the main thing I’ve been trying to grasp and learn in my current season of counseling. Seeing myself how God sees me and receiving His unconditional love are vital to self-compassion. “Love God and love your neighbor as yourself” – we must receive His love first before we can truly love anyone else. He loved us first.

Sometimes we need reminders… tangible ways of feeling His love. This week I’ve been in awe of Him, and how He has taken that generous love a step further.

I love music and words, so lyrics of songs really speak to me. But Tuesday, as a worship song played in the background at Family Night, a friend pointed out the line of a song directly to me. She said, “Megan, did you know God is madly in love with you?” I was half-listening to the song, not really receiving it, until she pointed it out. Highlighted it. Made it personal to me. And it might have been silly or in passing, but looking back, it was powerful. She could have kept quiet, or told someone else, but in that moment she encouraged my soul with God’s intentional love.

The Bible is another practical way to receive God’s love. So many verses talk about His love for us. But on Sunday, one of my mentors texted me a verse from the Bible. It was quick, but again, it was powerful. She took a few moments to pass on a message from the Lord, sending a personal reminder of His love for me.

“The Lord your God is with you, He is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you; He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing.” – Zephaniah 3:17

He quiets us, and our fears, with His love.

That song and scripture both dealt with God’s love toward me. In those instances, fear had to leave because God’s love was front and center.

As you go throughout your day and as fear attempts to find a foothold, remember God’s great love for you. That love that chases you down with urgency, not anger. That love that lights up shadows to find you, because you were made to live in His light and be loved by Him. Call this unconditional love to mind when the enemy tries to overwhelm your thoughts.

Receive God’s love, and watch Him drive the fear far away.

❤️