"How deep the Father's love for us; how vast beyond all measure." What a peace we have in the love of our Savior. This week, I've been pondering the verses in 1 John, which describe "perfect love" - the love that casts out all fear. "...whoever abides in love abides in God, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love." Casts. Out. All. Fear. A dear friend once said, "Of all sins, fear seems the most blatant, openly declaring, 'God, I don't trust you.'" How can I stand in the presence of my Savior, who loved me and gave His life for me, and yet still fear the circumstances of my life here on earth?
To abide in Him - abiding in His love - is to abide in His faithfulness... resting in the perfect love of my Savior. Treasuring is to have full confidence in His steadfast, enduring love -- allowing it to become the only thing that occupies my mind. In John Piper's Think, he presents the reader with a definition of loving God with all our mind -- referring to the commandment given in Matthew 22:37. "Loving God with all our mind means wholly engaging our thinking to do all it can to awaken and express the heartfelt fullness of treasuring God above all things."
I'm baffled by the reality that no matter how many times I fail to give God glory in every moment of my life, His faithfulness is enduring. He is faithful even when I am not. As humans, we don't like the idea of letting go. When our knuckles have gone white from holding on so tightly, God whispers, "Let it go. I want your burden." We're so uncomfortable with the idea of not having things to control. It's almost like free-falling. During the first couple seconds, we frantically look about us. But when we come to realize that our lives are in the palm of His hand, we breathe --- breathe in one huge sigh of beautiful relief. This state is the complete opposite of our default... which is why it's so discomforting at first.
But we rest in His perfect love (where there is no fear!). During my run the other night, the tears came flooding as I worried about the outcome of a physics test... I began thinking about how God was using this season of life... what I was supposed to learn during my "last stretch to the finish line" at St. John's. Memories brought me back to camp, and the discussions during lecture about "walking as Jesus did." Before we can walk as Jesus did, and "do what Jesus would do", we must first THINK as Jesus THOUGHT. ...this was key in my life at that moment, and it still is. "Thinking Christ's thoughts after Him." Christ's life had NO fear. The ultimate sacrifice for mankind desired the perfect will of His Father -- even to the point of death.
This perfect love is what causes us to be overwhelmed, and fall flat on our face before the cross. This perfect love causes an out-pour of our Father's love into the lives of others. Whom shall I fear? If God is for us, who can be against us? The things in our life that we allow fear to take over causes us to worship them. In Christ, there is no fear! ..Because His perfect love unites us with Him - our wonderful, merciful Savior. Let us allow our Savior to perfect us in that love!
SDG
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