1 John 4:18 says, “There is no fear in
love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment.
But he who fears has not been made perfect in love.”
The word ‘perfect’ here in Greek is
‘tĕlĕiŏs’ which also means ‘complete’. Love (agapē) is synonym to ‘affection,
benevolence (well-meaning, kindness)’. You see, God Himself is love (see 1 John 4:8)
and He loves you! That means God doesn’t just have ‘affection’ for you but He
wants you to experience His ‘complete well-meaning’ and ‘complete
kindness’ as well. If God was willing to send His only begotten Son into
the world to be the propitiation for your sins (see John 3:16; 1 John 4:9-10),
there is no other blessing that He would withhold from you. Therefore, you
have no fear in love (God), and His perfect love (God’s complete well-meaning
and kindness for you) casts out all your fears.
On the other hand, ‘torment’ (kŏlasis)
means ‘penal infliction, punishment’. Those who fear are tormented by fearful
thoughts. They are subconsciously expecting infliction and punishment to come
upon them. They have not experienced the perfect love, i.e. God’s complete
well-meaning and kindness upon their lives.
Your fears
are cast out once you understand God’s perfect and complete love
(well-meaning/kindness) for you! Understanding God’s perfect love releases you from
unbelief, hurts, resentment, sorrows, past failures, traumas, rejection, insecurity,
low self-esteem, and pride.
Upon knowing
God’s perfect love for you and having your fears cast out, you will NOT be afraid to:
Wait patiently for God’s instructions and act upon
them
Though people
in the world are into imitating methods and tactics of successful men and
women, you have the assurance deep within you that you can count on God to lead
and guide you. You know God has a tailor-made plan and specific blue-print for
you to succeed in life (see Proverbs 3:5-6, 7-8; Romans 8:14).
Receive God’s corrections and training of character
You
understand that promotion and increase of wealth come with greater
responsibilities. You have the conviction that only a renewed mind and a transformed
character can catapult you to move forward and cope with new challenges. And you
truly believe that only God knows what kind of corrections and training you
need in order to succeed and not to be ruined by newly gained riches, fame and
power (see Proverbs 3:11-12; Hebrews 12:7-11).
Lose out to others
Without fear,
there will be NO sense of insecurity. You have grasped the values of King David,
knowing that whatever door or position God has opened for you, no man can shut.
Therefore, no amount of threats or competition from seniors (aka King Saul) or
juniors (aka Absalom) will cause you to be shaken. You are convinced that if
God is for you, no one can be against you (Romans 8:31). However, if God
instructs you to give up on something, it is always because He has other greater
or higher things to entrust you. You will remain humble and allow God to exalt
you in due time (see Isaiah 22:22; Revelation 3:7; Romans 8:31; Proverbs 3:9-10;
Philippians 2:5-9).
Finally,
always remember what God has said in Jeremiah 29:11, “For I know the thoughts
that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to
give you a future and a hope.” Your understanding of the good thoughts of
your Father God toward you, and His perfect love for you, will turn you into a
‘fearless’ person! You will fear neither man nor circumstances. You will
always be ready to move forward into the breakthroughs and the new blessings
God has for you! Amen.