What are you afraid of?

I am afraid of poisonous spiders, but not the other kinds.

I am afraid of heights, but after my zipline adventure, less so.

I am afraid of losing a loved one. Now, that’s a fear. A real fear. One that takes my breath away because my family is my heart.

What do you fear? And what does this have to do with living like Jesus?

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. We love each other because he loved us first. 1 John 4: 16-19 (NLT)

Can we really live like Jesus?

If we live a life closely connect in our relationship with Jesus, then yes.

If our confidence is in His power rather than our own, then yes.

If we rise up each day expecting that God will show up in our every day lives, even the messy parts, then yes.

If we hand him our fears, even those that take our breath away, and realize that He has promised never to leave us, then yes.

Living in fear is different than facing those fears, even when they come true, with God right there with you.

What do you fear?

How can perfect love cast out that fear?