Fear Not part 4
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. That's where start. But it's not "I'm afraid of God because I messed up and He's going to punish me." God is not in the punishment business. He's in the chastening and correcting business. The purifying business. He's in the train a child up in the way they should go business. He wants us to succeed. What true Father wouldn't want His beloved Son (in whom He is well pleased) to succeed? But I think one of our biggest problems is that we've settled. We've accepted that "life sucks then you die." We've accepted so much less than what is available to us. Because we've listened to the lie that the world shouts at us from the top of it's lungs. The lie that says, "Whoever dies with the most toys wins." The lie that says, "You have to make other people look smaller in order for you to look bigger." We're so afraid that we'll miss out on something. Or that by giving (or using) what we've got we'll no longer have it. But I'm telling you, when it comes to love it really is a case of, "If you don't use it... you lose it." Because love is giving. Using what you've got--sharing it, giving it away--is how you EXPERIENCE what you've got. And since you're connected to the unlimited source--the God who IS love literally lives in you, even as you live in Him--you can't ever run out of it. Of Him. Of love. He has filled you with Himself. And all you have to do is receive Him and release Him. Let what's inside come out by knowing and believing that it's in there. If you're running FROM God you're missing out on everything that He has made available to you. If you're afraid of Him, you won't come to Him when you need Him. Look at Hebrews 4:16, "Let us therefore come boldy unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need." When we need Him... that's when we ought to run TO Him. I'm trying really hard to teach my son the difference between, "I screwed up, my dad's gonna kill me" and, "I screwed up, I need my dad." One of those is wrong. Plain and simple. The other one is coming to Daddy when you need help. One of those is fear in the sense of being afraid. The other one is fear in the sense of reverence. Being still and knowing that HE is God. That God has your back no matter what. That He will never leave you nor forsake you. That when you're in need... there is grace to help. And where else, in all honesty, could we find grace other than the throne of grace? Other than where Noah found it. Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord. He is not just seated ON the throne... He IS the throne. He doesn't just HAVE grace... He IS grace. All the the things we attribute to God, to Jesus (God in the flesh, love in a body... God in OUR flesh, love in OUR body) are not just things that He has, or things that He does. They are things that He IS. And, because as He is so are we in this world, those aren't just things that WE have or things that WE do. Those things--mercy, grace, forgiveness, righteousness, love--are who we are! I've heard it said that the love chapter in First Corinthians is simply a personality profile of Jesus. Which means it's a personality profile of US. Seeing who He is let's us see who we are. We don't ever have to be afraid of God. That would be the same thing as being afraid of love. And there is no fear in love. Perfect love casts out fear. Love is our safe place. Our refuge. The place we run TO instead of running FROM. So fear not. That's the wisest thing we can do. That's where it starts. And when you start with love... you can't go wrong. Love leads us and guides us and gets us to where we're supposed to be!