My dad is a wealth of wisdom. He may dance like Bill Cosby and “fix” things like Tim the Toolman Taylor, but if you ever have need for biblical counsel, he’s your go-to man. Last time I was home, I asked him a question that I’ve been battling off and on for as long as I can remember.
“How do you stop being afraid?”
And without skipping a beat, my dad answered, “Perfect love.”
So simple. So profound. Of course, I knew the verse to which he was referring…”There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear…” (1 John 4:18). I’ve read that verse, memorized it, meditated on it. But honestly, the truth is that I just have never understood it. Perfect love casts out fear. Great. But what does that mean? How do I get this perfect love? How does it drive out fear, practically? But my dad’s confidence in that answer made me start thinking about it again, and asking God for the wisdom to comprehend it.
I started my quest by taking in the context of this elusive truth, and the verse immediately following this one struck me. Verse 19 – “We love because He first loved us.” Not only does this define perfect love – the love of the Father, the love that was demonstrated on the cross, the love that God initiated for us – but it also sets the context. Perfect love is found within a relationship – specifically, a relationship with a loving Abba.
Next the Holy Spirit took me to Romans 8. “For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, "Abba! Father!"
Why does it take so long for simple truths to “click”?
All of a sudden, it hit me. How could I have missed this? Perfect love is the love of the Father, the spirit of adoption, the relationship between Abba and his child.
I wrestle, not with the concept that God is powerful and sovereign, nor that He is loving, nor that He is wise; I accept and believe all of these things. But in my flesh I cannot reconcile the awful things that He allows to happen. And this uncertainty over all the possibilities of all the bad things in the world that could happen is where my fear is planted, watered, and cultivated.
But suddenly I see how perfect love can cast out this fear.
God has blessed me beyond measure with a daddy who showed me my first picture of God as Father, and demonstrated it as accurately as a fallen human can. He is my hero. I am perfectly at rest in my dad’s love. I have no doubt that he loves me unconditionally and that he would only seek my best interest. When I was little, I was terrified of dogs. I mean, if I even thought I heard the echo of a dog’s bark, I would climb my daddy like a tree. But there’s the thing. My dad’s love did not mean that fear never assaulted me; but when it did rear its ugly head, I knew where to turn. It was instinct – Run to daddy. He loves me. He’ll take care of me. He’ll never do anything unless he believes it is best for me.
Now I understand. Fear has never been a part of my relationship with my dad – only love, as perfect as love can be on a human level. How much more, then, can the perfect love of my heavenly Father provide for me a place of peace, a refuge from fear. It's not that bad things will never happen, because they will. But if I feed my soul on the knowledge of the character of my Father, I don’t have to be afraid; and when I am afraid, I know where to turn.
“How do you stop being afraid?”
And without skipping a beat, my dad answered, “Perfect love.”
So simple. So profound. Of course, I knew the verse to which he was referring…”There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear…” (1 John 4:18). I’ve read that verse, memorized it, meditated on it. But honestly, the truth is that I just have never understood it. Perfect love casts out fear. Great. But what does that mean? How do I get this perfect love? How does it drive out fear, practically? But my dad’s confidence in that answer made me start thinking about it again, and asking God for the wisdom to comprehend it.
I started my quest by taking in the context of this elusive truth, and the verse immediately following this one struck me. Verse 19 – “We love because He first loved us.” Not only does this define perfect love – the love of the Father, the love that was demonstrated on the cross, the love that God initiated for us – but it also sets the context. Perfect love is found within a relationship – specifically, a relationship with a loving Abba.
Next the Holy Spirit took me to Romans 8. “For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, "Abba! Father!"
Why does it take so long for simple truths to “click”?
All of a sudden, it hit me. How could I have missed this? Perfect love is the love of the Father, the spirit of adoption, the relationship between Abba and his child.
I wrestle, not with the concept that God is powerful and sovereign, nor that He is loving, nor that He is wise; I accept and believe all of these things. But in my flesh I cannot reconcile the awful things that He allows to happen. And this uncertainty over all the possibilities of all the bad things in the world that could happen is where my fear is planted, watered, and cultivated.
But suddenly I see how perfect love can cast out this fear.
God has blessed me beyond measure with a daddy who showed me my first picture of God as Father, and demonstrated it as accurately as a fallen human can. He is my hero. I am perfectly at rest in my dad’s love. I have no doubt that he loves me unconditionally and that he would only seek my best interest. When I was little, I was terrified of dogs. I mean, if I even thought I heard the echo of a dog’s bark, I would climb my daddy like a tree. But there’s the thing. My dad’s love did not mean that fear never assaulted me; but when it did rear its ugly head, I knew where to turn. It was instinct – Run to daddy. He loves me. He’ll take care of me. He’ll never do anything unless he believes it is best for me.
Now I understand. Fear has never been a part of my relationship with my dad – only love, as perfect as love can be on a human level. How much more, then, can the perfect love of my heavenly Father provide for me a place of peace, a refuge from fear. It's not that bad things will never happen, because they will. But if I feed my soul on the knowledge of the character of my Father, I don’t have to be afraid; and when I am afraid, I know where to turn.
I can rest in the perfect love of my Abba.
You are an incredible woman! You are the picture of your earthly Father, you are learning from his wisdom to teach your daughter and future children. You are learning from the wisdom of your Daddy...and Abba!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Jana, for sharing your heart with us! I have learned so much from your father, your mother, and now you! God bless you!
ReplyDeleteWow...this has really spoken to my heart. Thank you....
ReplyDelete