We are designed for the love of God. In the most basic and practical sense, we humans cannot and will not function properly apart from knowing God loves us and personally receiving His love. The devastation from the Fall, where mankind rejected God’s love because of Satan’s deception and their disobedience, left in its wake that monster we know as fear. Fear is what flooded the heart of man when love was rejected. Fear paralyzes and debilitates us while at the same time falsely motivating us as we try to avoid it. The fear of rejection can motivate unhealthy codependent behaviors and attitudes. The fear of failure can motivate harmful patterns of compulsive activity, always having to “get it right.” Any phobia can become an idol as it takes the place of what is designed to be our deepest need and desire…God Himself, Who is love! Believers are told throughout the bible not to be afraid but we aren’t told not to feel afraid. The former is a state of being or disposition that influences what we believe about ourselves (and God) and the latter is an emotion. Feeling afraid in this world is normal but being afraid is not who you are! There is a huge difference between your feeling and your being! You are God’s beloved, secured, accepted, forgiven, righteous, cared for, indwelt child. He never uses fear to motivate you. It is His love that does that. A love that sets us free from the onslaught of all the “what ifs” of fear into the “what is” of His love and grace on your behalf! However you feel today, know that He loves you and you are so much more than how you feel, you are His!

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I John 4:18 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.

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