Perfect Love That Casts Out Fear

Fear is something I have been experiencing a lot lately, and I imagine I am not the only one. It seems like the older I get, the deeper and more real my fears become. As a kid I was definitely scared of the monster under the bed! But as scary as it felt when I was 6 years old, the monster was not real, and I would usually get over it pretty quickly. As I grew older, my fears became more real. In middle school and high school, my fears looked more like “Ahhh! All these people probably hate me!” or “What if I run into that bully in the hall again?!” or “If I don’t get good grades, my parents are not gonna be happy!!” I developed a fear of man that seemed to consume a lot of my thoughts. Now, I just graduated high school last May, and my fears seem to go even deeper. I am moving to Los Angeles for college, and I am terrified!! I don’t know very many people going to school with me, so most everyone I meet is going to be a stranger at first. I’m moving away from my family (& I can’t even begin to tell you all the fears that come with that!!!). I’m leaving my best friend, who is staying in Arizona for school. I am leaving my church family (which I have grown to be very close to). I am pretty much leaving my whole circle of people I trust and starting over with a new one. I am beyond scared of what my future holds.

The newness and the unknown can be very scary! That’s not something that just applies to future college students. Those who are starting a new job or beginning a family or trying to make a big decision may be experiencing a similar kind of fear. Everyone is afraid of something, so let me assure you, you are not alone!

But even in the midst of fear, God’s Word speaks several truths over us…

1. You are not alone.
   • Whatever fear you may be facing, you are not alone because the Lord goes before you and walks alongside you
   • “Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” Isaiah 41:10
   • Also, you are not the only person going through your situation or fearing what you fear. Find someone whom you trust (maybe someone who has been through something similar) that can encourage you and help you as you navigate your trials
2. The Lord can be trusted to carry your burdens & fears
   • “Cast all your anxieties on Him because He cares for you,” 1 Peter 5:7
   • The Lord loves you and cares about you deeply. There is so much freedom in surrendering all your burdens and fears to Him.
   • To help put it into perspective… you know the God of the universe! The One who created all things and by whom all things are still being held together. He is omniscient, meaning he knows it all. He is omnipresent, meaning he is everywhere all the time. In fact, he even exists outside of time. He is God. He is over everything. And we get the honor of knowing Him and calling Him Father. That same God is big enough to carry your burdens, and He is personal enough to love you in doing so.
   • Something that I did recently that I highly recommend is I got a balloon, took it out to the desert, wrote all my fears on it, and let it go flying up to the sky. This served as a tangible way for me to surrender my fears to the Lord, and physically let them go.
3. God Himself casts out fear
   • “There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear,” 1 John 4:18
   • A few verses before this one, John tells us that “God is love” (1 John 4:8). If God is perfect love and perfect love casts out fear, God is the one who casts out our fear. He is bigger than our fears, and He is the one who stills our heart and allows us to embrace freedom the comes from surrender. When we surrender to the Lord, God in his perfect love can cast out all our fears.

Prayer is a powerful thing. Oh my, I hope you never underestimate the power in communicating with the God of the universe. I encourage you, beloved friends, to surrender your fears to the Lord. He is more than capable, and He delights in carrying those burdens for you. In surrendering these things, there is so much freedom & life & joy to be found.

I encourage you to take a few minutes right now to surrender that burden to the Lord. You do not have to be the one to carry it alone. Perfect Love Himself casts out all fears, and He can be trusted to carry them. You are not alone, beloved friends. I love you, but I pray that you never forget how deeply loved you are by our Heavenly Father <3