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.

We love because he first loved us.

1 John 4:18-19

 

I believe all of us live with fears in greater or lesser degrees, though we may not even be aware of them.

For some they may be caused by insecurity developed as a child. Many of us had parents who, for some reason, were not able to nurture us in a healthy way. They weren’t able to give the parental love young children need to become emotionally healthy adults. Some of us grow to adulthood with a hurting child still inside. I know I did.

All of us need the perfect love this Scripture speaks about. Perfect love will help us overcome our insecurity. Perfect love will enable us to shed our fears – fears of not being loved, fears of rejection or abandonment.

We reach out, but no matter where we turn we can’t find a person who can give us the kind of love we hunger for. We try but our pain renders us blind to the needs of others. If we make the mistake of expecting such love from earthly friends, we may very well end up let down – even rejected at some point. And that will hurt badly.

What does perfect love look like? Perfect love will fill up our emptiness. It’s a love we can trust, fully embrace, and feel at home in. Perfect love provides a place of safety – like a baby in a mother’s arms.

God, our heavenly Father is the One who is able to give us such perfect love. He’s the only One. It’s him  we must reach out to. With open arms God gathers us to himself, giving us what we’ve been longing for. He will bring healing to the hurting child we have inside.

And God is always available. He will never let you down.

 

Dear God,

Thank you for being our Father in heaven. Thank you Lord, for your great and perfect love. Your steadfast love. A love no earthly person can match.

Thank you for friends. Help me be a friend to them as they are to me. Help me see them as the human beings they are, not expecting them to love me in a way only you can. Remove the emptiness in my heart and fill me with your fullness. Bring me to a place of safety.

Thank you, Father, for your many blessings.

marja