Perfect Love

 Fear, guilt, and shame cannot coexist alongside faith, hope, and love. Fear and love are a contradiction in terms, "there is no fear in love; because perfect love casts out fear," A confident loving-trust in God cannot cohabit alongside destructive fear. Fear is the antithesis of love and the person who is fearful has not reached the mature love God desires in His children.
 Love is the fruit of God's Spirit, and the fruit of love is not fear. It is a complete and confident assurance in our Father and His Word of truth. There is no fear in love,  the perfect love of God drives out all fear. Every aspect of Christ's redeeming work was designed to deliver us from all fear and all that might cause us to dread.
 The emotional fear that brings with it anxious thought, the threat of pain, and the dread of punishment is very different from the biblical fear of the Lord, which is the beginning of wisdom. In Proverbs, we read that the woman who fears the Lord is to be praised, while in Acts we read that the Church was multiplying because they were walking in the fear of the Lord, and in the comfort of the Holy Ghost.
 The fear of the Lord in this context refers to reverencing the Lord and standing in awe of His holy presence. Throughout the word of God, we are exhorted to glorify the Lord and offer Him great respect, He is worthy of our reverential praise and high admiration. We are to give unto the Lord the glory and worship His holy name demands. We are to come to Him and bow down before Him. We are to worship Him in the beauty of holiness.
 May we never forget that Perfect Love is not a selfish, immature, childish love that tries to take advantage of a situation. Perfect love is a mature, adult, responsible love. It is patient and kind. It does not take into account a wrong suffered, nor does it rejoice in unrighteousness. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Perfect love is a responsible love, a giving love, a gracious love that disperses fear and is the greatest gift of all.
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.

Our United Prayer:
Heavenly Father, we pray that we would let these words of truth settle in our hearts. There are times in our lives when we are very fearful. We know that when we are fearing things in life, we are not exhibiting trust in You. We Pray that You would surround us in Your perfect love, where fear has no place to stay and has to be cast out. As we rest in Your love, we Pray that we would experience the peace that passes understanding, whatever situation of life we are in. As we come to a deeper realization of the depth of Your highest degree of love for us, may we be used by You to love as we are loved. In Jesus’ name we Pray, AMEN.