There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love. I John 4:18

I confess, if perfect love drives out fear, then I still have some growing up to do.

As the COVID-19 pandemic has evolved, I have done my best to remain calm. As a husband, dad and pastor, I know that those I lead need to sense from me that everything will be okay.

Last Saturday morning I got out of bed early and turned on the news. Out of nowhere, fear began creeping into my heart. My stomach began to churn and I could feel my blood pressure going up as anxious thoughts began flying through my mind. I spent the next two hours seeking grace through prayer and God’s Word. In time, the fear began to subside as God’s peace settled back into my heart. I share that confession with you to let you know that fear is real and it can attack any one of us.
Fear Has a Purpose

Actually, fear has a holy design and purpose. Fear engages the Autonomic Nervous System and results in the fight or flight response. The stress hormones, adrenaline and noradrenaline are released into the blood stream: muscles tense, heart-rate increases, blood pressure rises, breathing becomes more rapid, and pupils dilate to take in more light. In addition, non-essential systems, like digestion, shut down to allow all available energy to focus on emergency response. God designed fear to help us get out of trouble quickly — and His design is good at doing just that — but it was never intended to be a lifestyle. When we live in fear, we erode the physical, mental, emotional, spiritual and relational potential God has invested in us. Fear, left unchecked, is destructive.

Fear, like any emotion, must be brought under the Lordship of Jesus Christ. Fear can be overcome, and for the believer, it must be overcome. To live in fear is to live in sin, so call it what it is. Don’t justify it or make excuses for it. Today, we must choose to live in love, not in fear. That’s what I had to do last Saturday. To help me overcome my fear, God reminded me of two very important truths:
First, You Are Loved.

You are a loved child of God (see John 1:12-13). Do you understand the full weight of that statement? Are you living like you understand it? Do your thought processes reflect it? Be honest with yourself. If you are living in fear, then clearly you don’t understand who you are, or you are just plain unwilling to accept it by faith. Either way, it’s time to receive it and begin living in it. God loves you. You are His child.

King David, a man who encountered many fear-inducing situations, made this declaration in Psalm 27:1, “The LORD is my light and my salvation — whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life — of whom shall I be afraid? He also declared in Psalm 118:6, “The LORD is with me; I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?”

We would be wise to fully accept God’s love and our full adoption into His family. I Peter 2:9 states, “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.” Are you ready to fully accept this truth and live in it? When you know who you belong to and who loves you, you have nothing to fear.
Second, You Are Blessed.

Unchecked fear tends to rise out of unmet expectations or entitlements. In other words, we’re afraid of losing something we think we own or deserve.

Friends, we don’t own anything (see Luke 12:13-21 and James 4:13-17), not even life itself. And the only thing we deserve, the only thing we have truly earned, is death (see Romans 6:23). When that understanding sets our level of expectation, everything else becomes a bonus.

Steven Hawking, the well-known theoretical physicist and cosmologist who lived with Lou Gehrig’s disease for more than 50 years, once said, “My expectations were reduced to zero when I was 21. Everything since then has been a bonus.” Every sinner who has been set free by the grace and mercy of Jesus Christ could declare the same thing!

Friends, no matter what happens, we are already living in the bonus! Paul said it this way, “I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength.” Philippians 4:11-13

What are you holding on to? What are you afraid of losing? Whatever it is, let it go. It isn’t yours and it never was. Keep your hand open and let blessings come and go. With Job declare, “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will depart. The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away; may the name of the LORD be praised.”

Don’t let COVID-19 trap you in fear. Overcome fear with truth. And remember, you are not alone. Jesus promised that He would be with us always, even to the very end of the age. Matthew 28:20.

Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified…for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.” Deuteronomy 31:6