I have been meditating on the
scripture from 1 John 4:18 over the past week. A scripture that I have heard
many times before but had literally only just came alive to me now.
“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.”
I have spent most of my life
riddled with fears. Fear of failure, fear of rejection, disappointing both people
and God, fear of missing it, fear of being derailed from God’s calling on my
life, fear of being inadequate, fear of messing up so bad that there cannot
possibly be a second chance, fear that God wants something for me that I don’t want
myself... and the list goes on. You can only imagine with this kind of war in
my mind I certainly was bound to get no-where in life.
If I had just gotten the
revelation that God is pleased with me no matter what I do I would have been in
a more secure place long time ago. And yes, life would have perhaps been a
different for me. But that’s just it. Even in the mess of life and wasted time
because of lack of knowledge – there He stands - the proudest father. He
looks at me and see’s perfection – not because of my perfection or my good
behaviour, but because His love for me is perfect. It lacks nothing – it is
sincere, its full, it’s complete. When I make mistakes – he does not bring out
the big black book, he doesn't condemn me or try fix me. He simply loves me and
reassures me that I am still perfect to Him. It’s this love that fixes us. It makes us
respond to Him - not defend ourselves or our egos or slip into a depression
about our inadequacies. It causes our hearts to desire Him more... because it’s
a safe place to run. This is where we learn just how much we truly need Him. This is where we learn to draw from His Love. This is where we rely on His strength to lift us up.
What an amazing picture of his
grace.
