Sermonette for Saturday
There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love. 1 John 4:18
It’s a sight that we have all seen at one time or another, the sight – and sound – of a toddler who has lost his mother in a large crowd. Wailing uncontrollably, the little one dashes about in absolute terror, frantically searching for the one person who can allay his terror. Hearing his cries, the mother dashes to meet him, and lifts him up, enfolding him in her strong and loving arms. With his mother’s love and presence, his terror vanishes, and the lad rests his head in perfect security on his mother’s shoulder, smiling through the residue of his tears. That touching little scene is an apt picture of what happens when we appreciate the love and presence of our Lord.
Fear is the biggest weapon in the devil’s arsenal. He has the world around us cowering in dread of everything from lack of comfort and security to the possibility of all sorts of calamities. That same fear paralyzes Christians when we allow the world to influence our thoughts and attitudes. There is a reason why fear is the devil’s biggest weapon; fear is the exact opposite of God’s greatest blessing: faith. Faith is the total confidence that the love of God is everything that we need. Faith is resting in the comfort of the strength of God, in the calm assurance that all is well because He is and because we are His. Faith knows that the love of God is absolute, far more powerful than the terrors of the world that are the fruit of fear.
There is much to fear if we allow those fears to penetrate our lives. In uncertain economic times, we wonder if we will have enough money to feed our families. In troubled political times, we wonder about the quality of the leaders of government, whether our lives will be disrupted by policies that deprive us of our freedoms. We wonder if wars will break out, if natural disasters will occur, if crime will strike our person or property. We buy and use products such as mouthwash, deodorant, and makeup because we fear our appearance and presence will offend anyone. Worries and anxieties cause ulcers and tension that drive us to medications and specialists to seek relief. Fears large and small, according to our text, have torment. That torment fades as we grow in our faith, as we rest in our confidence that God loves us and intends everything for our very best.
The perfect love of God would cast out all our fears, if we would only rest upon it. -Jim MacIntosh