Perfect Love

1 John 4:18

There is no fear in love but perfect love casts out fear, because love involves punishment; so the one who fears is not perfected in love.

Love is one of those mysteries from the Lord that as fleshly humans and as Christians we have allowed a mindset mixed by the world. Love is a feeling, you can fall in or out of love. I think on some level we may of all felt the pangs of that lie at some time. Love is very conditional. You do for me and I'll love you; you don't and well that I'll have to rethink. What do we do with love when someone rejects it from our hearts?

So how can our love be perfected? Only by the love poured out through the blood of Jesus Christ. The love of the Father being pure and perfected by his unconditional love to send His son for my atonement when I did not deserve it! Being perfected by love should drive out all fear of this world for fear does involve punishment and well we know we are saved for eternity.

Where is your fear today? I think it might be good to reflect why you fear and how it might involve punishment. Example; I fear my future right now for my marriage and honestly what the Lord might have me give up. That fear involves seeing God as a punisher who would drive away my truest desires. FALSE! God does not punish at all. He disciplines us for our hearts with love but does not punish. I know the truth of God having a perfect love for me. Now I must ask, how do I exemplify that perfect love to others without fear.