LOVE ............ fear

 

Something interesting took place last weekend. This incident kept invading my brain cells several times during the week. I could not quite understand it. I finally talked about it with a family member. Although the person I confided in did not help to explain it, the answer came in an unusual manner. A light bulb turned on, if you will.

Last Saturday, one of my nephews managed to break two bones in his left leg with one fall. It must be a record for this kid. In fact it was a record for all of them. Sunday the family got together to see him. Part of the extended family was a small family consisting of a mom, dad, and two little girls ages two and a half and one and a half. Little girls are fun to play with. All children are fun to play with in that age range. So play I did. I chased the younger with my hands extended wanting to carry her. She ran away from me. We managed to cover lots of space. Once she noticed that I won’t be deterred, she started crying. In the dining room, she became stuck between me and a chair that she could not move. She started flailing her arms all over the place while screaming. The women folk of the clan were watching the drama unfold. I decided to take action. I squatted close to her, grabbed her by the waist, drew her closer to me, and planted a huge kiss on her cheek. The look on her face was one of daze. I honestly thought she was going to hit me. But she did not. She hushed down completely which shocked me.  I asked her if she was afraid of me. She indicated that she was not in her own vocabulary and body language.

So why would this incident stay in my brain that long? Why? Why did she quiet down completely from a single kiss? Or was it the realization of me caring that drove fear out of the window? Isn’t that what we do with God? We are afraid of Him for He is omniscient, omnipresent, and omnipotent. He can do what He wants to do in us and around us. He can, but He is also love. He does everything in love and holds our best interests in mind. In other words, the core of Him is love. The underlying reason for anything He does is love. Do we know that? Do we believe that? Some of us cannot conceive the extent of that love until … He chases us down to kiss us. We run away thinking He wants to hurt us, but all He wants to do is love us.

The Lord your God is with you, He is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing. Zephaniah 3:1

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 John 4:18