“There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love. We love, because He first loved us.” (1 John 4:18–19, NASB 95)

Admittedly, I am a slow learner about some things. It has been a long process for me to see how fear has often made my life more difficult. By responding out of fear, I have often said or did the wrong thing.

The difficulty for me comes in determining what is healthy fear (or respect) and when I have crossed over into unhealthy fear, fear that is the opposite of love.

Certainly it is right to be afraid of things or situations that are truly dangerous. Gravity remains in place, fire still burns, and Houston, Texas is still a haven for thieves. Therefore, we need to be careful on ladders, take adequate precaution when dealing with fire, and never leave your backpack in your car when you eat lunch in Houston (I know this from personal experience).

Also, there is nothing wrong about planning and preparation in the event that some unplanned situation will arise. Saving money for retirement, having medical insurance, and striving to be debt free, fall into this category. Scripture encourages us that wisdom requires us to act on evaluations of this sort.

“Go to the ant, O sluggard, Observe her ways and be wise,” (Proverbs 6:6, NASB 95)

But there are other situations where I have little or no control where fear is not wise or helpful. For example, we have little control over the officials in our government. In the USA, we can vote, we can contact our officials, we can protest decisions that are made, but beyond that there is nothing we can do. So, living in constant fear of what will be decided cannot affect the situation and only makes me nervous and unhappy.

I have also found that fear can have a detrimental effect on relationships. If I am in constant fear of saying the wrong thing or doing the wrong thing, I cannot be a good partner in a relationship. While attempting to keep a loved one from making a bad decision, if I am responding out of fear, it is likely that my advice will not be helpful and it will damage the relationship.

John, in the verse quoted at the beginning of this post, tells us that the antidote to unhealthy and unwise fear is love. Not only is it love, it is perfect love, which is only found in my relationship with my Heavenly Father.

There is much more to write about this than can be contained in one blog post, but I am slowly learning that because I am loved by God I can rest in his promises to me as an individual, and to Christians as a group. Therefore I don’t need to worry about how things will turn out. I don’t need to fear the outcome of any particular relationship or problem.

I am slowly learning to trust that God will ultimately fix what is wrong and he will complete what he has begun (see Phil 1:6).

Learning to trust God gives me confidence, not because I am in control or smart enough to prevent disaster, but because God is. Learning to trust in God’s love has put me in a better position to respond to others out of love and not fear. When I respond out of love, I am a better husband, father, employee, church leader, etc.

The verse that comes to mind is Psalm 46:10 (NASB 95):

“Cease striving and know that I am God . . .”

God has opened the door for me to go on a short-term mission trip to Istanbul, Turkey with Scottsdale Bible Church June 27 – July 6, 2025. We will be sharing God’s love and will be serving the Lord by ministering to Syrian refugees living in Turkey.

God is opening my eyes to a world that is in desperate need of understanding the love of Jesus. While it would be so easy to remain in my comfort zone and let others go on this trip, I am convinced that God is asking me to be a part of the team. While I am sure that God will use us to shine his love in the midst of the unrest in that region, I’m also convinced that I have lessons to learn through my participation.

My reason for writing to you is twofold. First, I am earnestly requesting your prayer support. We know that nothing of eternal value happens without prayer. Please pray for me and our team, and for people to see the love of God through us.

Second, I am asking if you would prayerfully consider helping me with the costs of this mission trip. The total cost will be $3,100 and is due by May 27. This will cover all our travel and lodging as well as ministry supplies.

If you would like to support me financially in this mission experience, you can give online with a credit or debit card by visiting this link.

If you would prefer to donate by check, please email me back with your mailing address and I will send you a postage paid envelope which you can use to make the donation. I will include instructions for making the donation in the mail.

All contributions are tax deductible.

You are very important to me. Thank you for praying. Thank you also for considering to be a part of my support team.

If you would like more information about the trip, please click here.

In my quiet time this morning I was reminded that we Christians have an amazing capacity to selectively apply Scripture to our lives. Perhaps it is only me that has this capacity, but my observation of Christendom give credence to the thought that we all struggle with this. We give in to the pull to ignore the bits that make us uncomfortable due to our pride, or preconceptions of how things ought to be.

Worse yet, we sometimes use scripture to justify our unforgiveness or condemnation of others. In this mode, we use the Bible as a club to bludgeon others into behaving as we think they ought.

Even a cursory acquaintance with the Bible gives us the idea that as Christians, we are called to live holy lives. Scripture validates our feeling that things are not quite as they ought to be. There is no doubt that Christians are called to pursue holiness.

In his sermon this past Sunday, our Pastor reminded us that any attempt to produce holiness that is not done in the context of increasing love will lead to what he called “lifeless legalism.” In this mode, we pound ourselves and others with scriptural demands reducing the Christian life to a list of rules and regulations that leave us ineffective and defeated. This approach reduces us to what Paul calls a “noisy gong or a clanging cymbal” (1 Corinthians 13:1, NASB).

On the other hand, if there is an emphasis on love without a deep call to obedience to scriptural commends, this will lead to “lively licentiousness.” While it may feel loving to validate people (including ourselves) in their choice to violate or ignore God’s requirements, in the end this approach leads to death as we are told twice in the Proverbs (Proverbs 14:12; Proverbs 16:25).

The third and best way is to have both a deep love for others and a firm commitment to obedience to the commands of scripture. The gospels demonstrate how Jesus did this perfectly, and he gives us an example to follow. This third way leads to true righteousness that is life changing.

By this reflection I am challenged to ask myself two questions as I read scripture and reflect on it:

1. How does this passage challenge me to live differently?
2. How does this passage challenge me to love God and my neighbor more deeply and effectively?