Love Drives Out Fear

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You're listening to the My Morning Devotional podcast, episode 1209. Today's episode is called Love Drives Out Fear. Hey there.

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We're the Alessi's, a ministry family working together in our church in Miami, Florida. And if you're like us, when days get busy and to do lists get longer, it can be hard to find devotional time. That's why we've partnered with our friend Allison to produce a five minute daily dose of heaven. This is the My Morning Devotional Podcast. Happy Thursday, everybody.

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My name is Lauren Alessi. I am your host for this week and it has been a really challenging and cool week so far.

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I know it's been a little different, at least for me. I hope and pray it's been different for you because usually when people talk about God's love, it has a different tone. And I, I can admit I have sounded a bit negative with my raspy voice. Can you tell I am a little. I'm getting over a little sickness.

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Maybe not negative, but just challenging. Just challenging.

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And different maybe than when people talk about God's love.

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I. I pray that in a weird way it has blessed you and it's been a different perspective on God's love, that it's mature, but that it's so good for us and it's how God wants us to show love to others. We're still reading out of First John, chapter four, and today we're reading out of 16 through 18.

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So verse 16 says this. And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love.

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Whoever lives in love lives in God and God in them.

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Let's repeat that. Whoever lives in love lives in God and God in them. This is how love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment. In this world, we are like Jesus. There is no fear in love because perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love. So let's repeat two parts here. It says this.

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This is how love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment. What an interesting perspective to bring up the day of judgment and then also talking about how God's love will make us confident on the day that we are judged, because God is doing it out of love for us. The judgment is not coming out of a place of now you did wrong and this is what you deserve. No, it's coming out of a place of love from God. And then it says this. There is no fear in love, because perfect love drives out fear. And I have to be honest, this verse is a little bit deeper than I thought. I have to keep analyzing it even after this episode. Maybe it's something we come back to. But I think here it sounds like God's talking to us.

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If we love God, there's no fear there of the day of judgment because God's doing that out of love. And the perfect love God has for us, that drives out the fear.

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The fear, because we have to have a healthy fear of God. So I'm not talking about that, but more of the anxiety and the nerves that we become ridden with. That perfect love God has for us has to make us confident and drive out that anxiety and those nerves, because fear and anxiety has to do with punishment. But the one who fears is not made perfect in love. So I have not mastered this verse yet. I find it very, very interesting.

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But I hope it challenges you today. I hope you picked out something that you're like, oh, I haven't heard that. Because sometimes we only isolate that part that says, because perfect love drives out fear. And I to me, maybe it's talking more about nerves and anxiety more than fear. Maybe it is talking about fear. But this is such a deep well. I also don't want to botch it and give you some sort of, you know, half answer here. It needs to be a full answer that I give you. But anyways, I find it so interesting that God, in talking about his perfect love, brings in the day of judgment and when talking about his perfect love brings up confidence in how his perfect love gives us confidence. So rest assured that you can be challenged by the word of God so much that you can say, hey, I don't fully understand this yet. God, give me wisdom. So let's pray that out today. Let's let that be our prayer. Dear Lord, we thank you so much that even the topic of your perfect love can be so confusing. Because it is so perfect that we come to you and we just ask for wisdom and guidance. Lord, what does this mean? Truly, what does it mean that your perfect love casts out fear and drives out fear? What does that look like? What does that look like in our everyday lives? God and I just pray not only for me, but maybe for the people who are listening to this, who have questions, God, but also for me, God, I have my own questions. Lord, give us guidance, give us answers, and maybe we can revisit this in another episode. God, as you've given us wisdom and as you've given us insight into what this perfect love that casts out fear and what it looks like.

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In Jesus name we pray. Amen. So there you have it.

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Your 5 minute daily dose of heaven. Thank you so much for tuning in today. We pray these devotionals empower you to take on your day. If you found value in this devotional, share it with a friend, leave a comment or review for us on the app you're using right now.

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Until tomorrow. We pray that your latte is strong, but your love for Jesus is stronger.