Fear

"If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in them and they 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 them. This is how love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment: In this world we are like Jesus. 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." (1John4:15-18)

Came across this scripture today in another blog that I read and it stuck out to me. Fear is a very big struggle of mine. Has been for a very long time. I have lived most of my life living in fear. Fear of bad things happening. Fear of losing people. Fear of what others think. Fear of being abandoned, left. If you were to look at me, you wouldn't know it. I hide it well. Only a few can tell. Sometimes the fear is so crippling that I am unable to do anything. I will talk myself out of things. (Self esteem and self worth are two other big struggles) I run from things. I fear for the safety of my family when they are not with me. I could go on and on. Needless to say that it's a giant, daily struggle for me. I often feel like a horrible christian because of the fear. It's one of the things that I want to conquer in my life this year. I need to remember that it's perfect love that casts out all fear. And that perfect love is God's. Not mine, my husband's or anyone elses. They all pale in comparisson and fail miserably. Only God's love is perfect and therefore good enough to cast out all fear. I need to lay that fear down at the foot of the cross where it belongs. To lay it at the feet of Jesus and rest in His perfect love. For a healthier me and so I don't pass the behaviour on to my children. So needless to say this scripture is one that I will be memorizing and keeping close by.