Fear wants to help build my house!
It has come to stay until I kick it out!
Fear wants to be my contractor.
I have to refuse to let FEAR dwell my mind and spirit.
FEAR has to be dealt with.
If left alone or given permission- fear will destroy the house of love God’s trying to build. Fear arrests the progress. Fear shuts down the building project. Fear stops LOVE from building your house. God even shows us the foundational blueprints for your house of Love that He’s building. There is NO FEAR in the PERFECT LOVE OF GOD John 4:7 GOD HAS NOT GIVEN US A SPIRIT OF FEAR; BUT OF POWER AND LOVE AND A SOUND MIND. II Timothy 2:7
Fear is not even remotely in Jesus’
building materials for your life!
Before Bethany- I was so afraid of bad things happening to me: loss, pain, cancer, FEAR was a full-time guest in my home. I entertained him and listened daily to his words. Then a fearful thing (I thought at the time) happened- I had a child born with special needs- down syndrome! The “scary” had happened to me. Then God stepped in and liberated me from the grip of fear and flooded me with His love.
If Bethany has taught me anything,
she has MAGNIFIED to the Billionth degree-
GOD IS LOVE!
GOD PROVES HE IS LOVE
God showed how much he loved us by sending his one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through him. This is real love—not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins. I John 4:9,10
WE HAVE TO PUT OUR TRUST IN THE OUTCOME OF HIS LOVE
Dear friends, since God loved us that much, we surely ought to love each other. No one has ever seen
God. But if we love each other, God lives in us, and His love is brought to full expression in us. God has given us his Spirit as proof that we live in him and he in us. Furthermore, we have seen with our own eyes and testify that the Father sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. All who confess that Jesus is the Son of God have God living in them, and they live in God. We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in his love. I John 4:11-16
GOD IS LOVE- AS WE LIVE IN HIM- OUR LOVE GROWS MORE PERFECT
God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them. And as we live in God, our love grows more perfect. So we will not be afraid on the day of judgment, but we can face him with confidence because we live like Jesus here in this world. Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not fully experienced his perfect love. I John 4:17,18
Surprising Treasures: Maybe Bethany understands God better than I: In her own words- “LOVE GOD and LOVE PEOPLE”. Dats it Mom!
Cindy…Tell Bethany that I love her definition of Love…I know”Dats It!! I can also relate to fear in a very different way, I used to be so afraid of the dark and being alone at night, After Bud passed into eternity, I was at least safe for a while since Nate was still around, ….but then he left for college. I spent more sleepless nights than anyone knows. I had fear that kept growing and then my imagination took over and made it worse. I finally got victory over it when I turned it all over to God, but that took time for me to “get it”. I started reading scriptures that pertained to faith and realized the opposite of faith is fear so..I have overcome by the Grace of God. All of your scriptures are very meaningful for me. Love ya
I’m sorry for the fear and loneliness you went through Charlene! And yet- He draws near us and proves His faithfulness and love in ways we never would have understood if things were “perfect.” Love you too!
Cindy, I could just squeeze that little Bethany. She knows the reason for the hope she has. Praise God! Isn’t it peculiar how we get the impression that we have to be mature adults in order to have a right relationship with God. But, Jesus tells us just the opposite: “Except ye become as little children….” and “…of such is the Kingdom!” Moves me to tears! Thanks for sharing the depths of your heart, precious friend!
What a gift Bethany has given me- she truly allows me to see life through the “lens” of a child. She doesn’t struggle with the questions I often do- 🙂