Fear and Love

[00:00:20] Greetings and welcome to this edition of Become A Competent Biblical Counselor.

[00:00:25] I'm Dr. Dave Jones and today's episode is entitled Fear and Love.

[00:00:31] So we have this question, what can I do to overcome fear?

[00:00:37] My fears are debilitating and keep me from living and acting as a Christian should.

[00:00:43] Many people have problems with fear and Christians are not immune from this problem.

[00:00:48] That's why one reason why the Word of God has an awful lot to say about fear.

[00:00:54] Indeed, God, whenever He comes to man, has to say to man, Fear not.

[00:01:01] When the angel appears, when a supernatural manifestation of God takes place in Scripture,

[00:01:07] almost always you see some sort of a word like that, because man is afraid.

[00:01:13] Man has good reason to be afraid because he is a sinner.

[00:01:17] And so what about this matter of fear?

[00:01:20] Fear basically, of course, goes back to the fear of God.

[00:01:24] But let's think about fear in a way in which many people do not think about it.

[00:01:29] Let's contrast and compare fear with love.

[00:01:33] Love looks for opportunities to give.

[00:01:36] It asks, what can I do for another?

[00:01:39] Fear keeps a weary eye on the possible consequences of an action or a situation and asks, what will he do to me?

[00:01:48] Love, the Bible says, thinks no evil.

[00:01:52] Fear thinks of little else.

[00:01:55] Love labors doing today's tasks and is so busy that it has no time to worry about tomorrow.

[00:02:01] Because it focuses just upon tomorrow, fear fails to undertake responsibilities today.

[00:02:09] Love leads to greater love.

[00:02:12] Fulfilling one's obligations brings joy and peace and satisfaction and greater love and devotion to the work.

[00:02:19] Fear, in turn, occasions greater fear.

[00:02:23] Fear, the fear cycle is notorious, very difficult to break.

[00:02:28] Since failure to assume responsibilities brings additional fear, the consequences of acting irresponsible will be evident.

[00:02:38] So, you may say, what a strange way to begin a discussion of fear.

[00:02:42] You might think, why contrast love and fear?

[00:02:47] Why not fear in peace?

[00:02:49] Or fear in security?

[00:02:51] Or maybe fear in serenity?

[00:02:54] Well, the answer to that question is found in 1 John 4, 17 and 18,

[00:03:00] where John himself sits fear and love over against each other as mutually exclusive,

[00:03:05] while John specifically is concerned about the fear of the judgment to come in that passage

[00:03:11] and shows how assured love from God and for God erases all such fear of the judgment,

[00:03:17] his words also demand a broader application.

[00:03:21] John seems to be applying a general principle when he says perfect love casts out fear to a specific case,

[00:03:29] namely, the fear of judgment.

[00:03:31] This is apparent since as he analyzes the nature of fear and its effects,

[00:03:37] he does so by analyzing them in general.

[00:03:40] He says fear, not the fear of judgment in particular,

[00:03:44] but fear involves punishment, and so on.

[00:03:47] So we have, then, a very vital principle that love is stronger than fear,

[00:03:53] and fear is cast out by love.

[00:03:57] Love is the answer to fear, then.

[00:03:59] There is a wall plaque that correctly reads,

[00:04:02] The fear of God is the one fear that removes all others.

[00:04:07] The enemy of fear is love.

[00:04:10] The way to put off fear, then, is to put on love.

[00:04:14] Counselors who recognize this fact,

[00:04:16] and Christian people who recognize this dynamic of the word of God,

[00:04:20] are well on the way toward reaching the biblical solution

[00:04:24] to the many problems connected with fear.

[00:04:26] Well, you say, okay, how are love and fear mutually opposed,

[00:04:32] and how does this work out in an actual experience situation?

[00:04:37] Love is self-giving.

[00:04:40] Fear is self-protecting.

[00:04:43] Love moves toward others.

[00:04:45] Fear shrinks away from others.

[00:04:48] Love, however, is the stronger,

[00:04:51] since love is able to cast out fear.

[00:04:54] And dealing with your fear, then,

[00:04:57] God says that you must use the stronger power of love,

[00:05:00] the expulsive force of love,

[00:05:02] which can drive out that fear.

[00:05:05] Now, under other circumstances,

[00:05:08] a woman might be frightened by a mouse,

[00:05:10] but that very same woman will not be immobilized

[00:05:14] by the fear of a wild tiger

[00:05:16] if that tiger is running after the child that she loves.

[00:05:21] Foolishly or otherwise,

[00:05:22] her love overcomes her fear,

[00:05:25] casts it out,

[00:05:26] and she throws herself between that tiger and her child.

[00:05:31] Love is greater than fear.

[00:05:33] A woman paralyzed by a mouse

[00:05:35] stands in front of her tiger because of love.

[00:05:37] A man with a phobia for crossing bridges

[00:05:40] upon hearing of an automobile accident

[00:05:42] involving his own children

[00:05:44] drove heedlessly over two bridges

[00:05:47] that he would not have gotten anywhere near otherwise

[00:05:50] in order to reach those children

[00:05:51] experiencing absolutely no fear

[00:05:54] whatever in the process.

[00:05:56] Just a few days before,

[00:05:58] the same man had refused

[00:06:00] to cross those very same two bridges.

[00:06:03] What made the difference?

[00:06:04] Well, love for the children cast out fear.

[00:06:08] So fear and love vary inversely.

[00:06:11] The more fear,

[00:06:12] the less love.

[00:06:14] The more love,

[00:06:15] the less fear.

[00:06:16] They tend to seesaw, you see.

[00:06:18] But the encouraging fact for all of us

[00:06:21] to remember

[00:06:21] is that love is the heavier

[00:06:23] of the two

[00:06:24] for love can cast out fear.

[00:06:27] And so your task,

[00:06:29] according to 1 John,

[00:06:30] is to see that your love for God

[00:06:32] and your love for your neighbor

[00:06:33] is perfected.

[00:06:35] For perfect or perfected love

[00:06:37] casts out all fear.

[00:06:39] The more you love God

[00:06:41] and seek to do

[00:06:42] what he wishes you to do

[00:06:43] in the situation,

[00:06:44] the less you will fear

[00:06:46] the situation.

[00:06:48] The more you love the person

[00:06:49] for whom you are doing it

[00:06:51] in that situation

[00:06:52] to the honor of God,

[00:06:54] whether it be your husband,

[00:06:56] your child,

[00:06:56] or another believer,

[00:06:58] or even your enemy,

[00:06:59] the less you will fear.

[00:07:02] I don't know what your situation is,

[00:07:03] but I do know this.

[00:07:05] If you begin to give of yourself

[00:07:07] in love

[00:07:07] instead of sitting around

[00:07:09] thinking about all the fearful

[00:07:10] consequences of what might happen

[00:07:12] and spend your time

[00:07:14] thinking about how I can

[00:07:15] give myself more,

[00:07:17] what can I do?

[00:07:19] What does God want me to do

[00:07:21] for him

[00:07:21] or for the other person involved?

[00:07:24] The fear will soon evaporate.

[00:07:27] Oh Lord,

[00:07:28] take fear out of our hearts

[00:07:30] of your children

[00:07:31] as they turn with hearts

[00:07:32] of love to the tasks

[00:07:33] that you have laid before them.

[00:07:36] We pray in Jesus' name.

[00:07:37] Amen.