“There is 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.” I John 4:18 Message Bible
“The cave you fear to enter holds the treasure you seek.”
— Dr. Joseph Campbell
I was invited not too long ago to spend a weekend at my friend’s farm in Oklahoma. This farm was in the middle of southern Oklahoma, but as my dad would say, it was in the middle of nowhere. When I went to bed and turned out the light it was pitch black: can’t see your hand in front of your face pitch black. The kind of darkness your eyes don’t adjust to because there’s no light for them to adjust to. I got up and went to the window and opened up the curtains. About 20 feet away was a light on a telephone pole that lit up the front drive a little. But just that bit of light allowed my eyes to adjust to the darkness of the room. And that pitch-black darkness in the room gave way to that small amount of light, and I could now see.
Living in a Dark Room
Fear is like living in that dark room. I’m not saying that all fear is bad. A fear that keeps us from playing in the street or jumping off a cliff is helpful and protective. But fear that keeps you crippled and unable to enjoy God, yourself or others is like living in darkness. When we live in darkness, whatever we fear will dominate us. When we focus on it, the fear will grow and our darkness becomes even darker. In many ways, fear is a continuous loop that grows as we focus on what we fear. Whether it’s death, the future, the loss of a loved one, the loss of a job, etc. But agape love dispels the darkness, our fear, allowing us to see the reality of how much we’re loved.
Agape IS Perfect Love
The Apostle John wrote in I John 4:18 that perfect love casts out fear, because there is no room in love for fear. God’s perfect agape is like light that pierces the darkness and casts out fear. Agape is a compound word in the Greek, from “Ago,” meaning to lead as a shepherd and “pauo,” to rest. So agape is to lead one into rest. A shepherd seeks the highest good of the sheep through sleepless nights watching over the sheep, protecting them from predators, sheering them for their health, leading them to fields so that they can eat, and to water so they can drink. Christ Jesus, the Good Shepherd, also leads us to rest, even when we resist His invitation to rest. This is how you are loved by God in Christ Jesus, and have always been loved. When we grow in our understanding of God’s perfect love for us, agape, there is no room for fear. When you begin to see that you are loved, apart from your past mistakes, or performance, your failures or defeats, and that God has and will always love you perfectly, fear begins to be driven out of your heart and mind. "As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love.” John 15:9. No matter the confusion or contradictions, God is perfect love, and perfect love always seeks your highest good (I Corinthians 13:4-8).
What You Focus on Captures You
Where is your focus? Focus is very important, because what we focus on is what captures us. Do you see how loved you are by God? Do you see your true self in Christ Jesus, your union in Him that will never end? You are one with God in Christ, this union is your true identity, “In that day you will know, that I am in the Father, you are in me and I am in you.” John 14:20 ESV. Do you see how much He has always loved you? In the midst of your greatest pain and hell, God the Father has loved you, and will always love you. In fact, loving you each moment is His greatest desire.
Participate in His Love for You!
Would you participate with Him in this agape and affection for you? He so desires for you to see how loved you are. Ask Him to reveal His agape, and then watch Him show you. How He does that for you will be different than He does for me. Look at Jesus, He is the truth about you every moment and the truth about the love of God for you! Fear comes to every person in different ways, but we need not be controlled by it, not when the light of His caring agape pierces our darkness!