There is no fear in love, but perfect love
casts out fear.
—I John 4:18a
In The Donkey and the King, Much‑Afraid,
the dog, shook with fear when Baruch left her behind at the stable. During the
time the donkey was gone, the king helped Much-Afraid to conquer her fear.
*~*~*~*~*~*
From
Seventh Dimension – The Door, a Young
Adult Christian Fantasy:
The
dog stretched and cocked her head enjoying the rubdown.
I
laughed. “Is your name Much-Afraid?”
“I
was always afraid until the king healed me.”
—Shale
Snyder and Much-Afraid, the dog, chapter ten
*~*~*~*~*~*
When we meet Much‑Afraid again in Seventh Dimension – The Door,
she has overcome her fear.
Do
you know that the opposite of fear is love? Every time you’re afraid, that
means you’re not allowing God’s love into your heart. God’s perfect love will
cast out your imperfect fear. In fact, your imperfect fear is made perfect in
weakness. In your weakness, God can help you. Once you recognize your weakness,
you won’t rely on yourself and your own abilities. You will rely on God.
Begin
with prayer. Most of us struggle with fear at times because we don’t love
perfectly. Our humanness makes us needy, but our sin keeps us from embracing
God’s unconditional love. In spite of this, God never gives up. He woos us because
we’re cherished, like a lover woos his beloved.
The
king told Shale, “I love you more than you will ever know.” In the same way,
God loves you. Someday when we meet the king, we’ll truly know how much he
loves us.
Every
time fear threatens you (and I do believe in demons of fear), remember the
words of the king. Let his perfect love fill your mind. Let every cell within
you find intimacy in your heavenly father. Don’t rely on yourself. You will
fall. Find your strength in God. Don’t be just a fan of Jesus Christ, like on
Facebook or Twitter. Be a follower. Make Jesus your king and your lord. Let his
love conquer any fear that creeps into your heart. Then you will be able to
love others in the same way God loves you.
Your
heavenly Father is waiting for you to surrender. He is never too busy to listen,
and I guarantee you, he is not resting.
The
king died to defeat every fear Satan will tempt you to believe. Don’t be seized
with a knot in your stomach and crippling doubts.
Let
God’s love indwell you. Cast aside every anxious thought. Don’t give up. Don’t
give in. Don’t wait. Begin by reading the Bible and then pray for God to be
real to you—more real than he has ever been in the past. His perfect love will
cast out your fear.
If
you do this every time you become fearful, you can claim victory. If you don’t
succeed the first time, don’t give up, especially if you’re prone to being
fearful. Old habits die hard, and Satan is relentless. But God will help if you’re
faithful in prayer and read your Bible.
If
you still struggle with fear after much prayer, perhaps you might need to see a
counselor or physician. Sometimes chemical imbalances can affect your mood,
especially if you’re going through a particularly difficult time.
Don’t
be afraid or embarrassed. Ask for help. Pride will tell you, you don’t need
crutches, but humility is more powerful than pride.
Thank you, Jesus, for loving me. Help me to
feel loved. Help me to trust you every time I feel afraid.
