There Is No Fear in Love

Read this devotional from Rick Warren and had to share:

By Rick Warren — May 21, 2014

“The Spirit that God has given you does not make you slaves and cause you to be afraid ...” -Romans 8:14-16 (TEV).

Fear will keep you from becoming all God intends for you to be; it will limit your potential, even ruin and devastate your life. God does not want you living a life filled with fears.

You might call it coincidence, but there are 365 “fear not” commands in the Bible. That’s one for every day of the year. I would say God hates fear.

The Bible says, “There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear …” (1 John 4:18 NIV). God is love, and the more you fill your life with God, the less fear you are going to have.

When you are afraid, there are two things you need to do to drive it away. First, remember you are in God’s family. Romans 8:14 says, “Those who are led by God’s Spirit are God’s children” (TEV).
If someone or something makes you afraid, you need to stop and remember that you’re a child of God. You’re not an orphan; you’re not alone. He is your Father, and God is greater and more powerful than anything.

Not only that, but you can cry out to Him anytime and he will hear you. “[B]y the Spirit’s power we cry out, ‘Father! My Father! …’” (Romans 8:14-16 TEV). He’ll send his Spirit to come and calm you down.

What do you fear the most right now? For most people, their greatest fear is not the fear of public speaking; it’s the fear of being out of control. And the truth is that most of your life is beyond your control. But it’s not out of God’s control. Your Father is in control. And you need to remember whose child you are and that you can call on him any time of the day.