“There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love.” (1 John 4:18 NASB)
"The one who fears is not perfected in love." This is a huge understatement. If we abide with Jesus and He abides with us then we have a choices concerning how we live every morning, sometimes even multiple times a day. The most important choice you will make is (because He is constantly pouring it out to you) whether to receive God's Love. The second is a lot like the first, but not exactly, in that it requires action on our part. "Will you choose to live in His Love?"
If we choose to fear instead of believing God, He cannot perfect us in love. His nature will not even share space with fear. God's perfect Love lives in us, and fear will ever assail us. However, in both the micro and the macro, we still must choose to agree with one or the other. I'll give you a hint, one is the Truth, and one is a lie. That doesn't seem to be much of a choice, but surprisingly we as humans too often enjoy having our ears tickled a bit.
Authenticity is hard, falsehood is not. Just like authentic love is hard, and indifference is not. Being made perfect in the Love of God can be a messy business, but the alternative of going it alone leads down only one road, the road to spiritual death.
Our indentity is in God alone, so when we try to find it in other places and other things, or even other people, the result is always negative. When we replace the capital "G" in God with a capital "M" in me, perfect love is pushed out and fear can and will inevitably reign in our hearts. There is no room for improvement in God's perfect love, so I say, choose to live in His Love and be perfected, then allow the Holy Spirit free reign to build you up in the confidence of being known by Him. As the scripture says, "Choose life", choose to walk in "that which is life indeed", and you will never have to be afraid or alone ever again.
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