To Fear or Not to Fear

Sometimes I get these moments when I know God wants to talk to me…I get this strange sensation in my right ear and somehow I know God wants to talk.  I think it’s pretty cool, and very ingenious of God.  When it happens it usually gets stronger and stronger until I stop to take a minute to listen.  

Case in point, a few weeks ago I had that same sensation in my right ear so when I had a chance I took a moment to talk to God.  He brought to my mind my fear of loving people.  I felt the fear.  I stayed in that feeling for a while and I realized that most of the time when I get that feeling I “hold off” on loving someone.  God was showing me that my fear was that I would be rejected and so I don’t choose to love that person.  Wow.  That is true, I thought. 

Then I realized (this is where God came in) that I don’t need to be afraid - maybe that's why Jesus said "don't be afraid".    God wants me to choose to love, and if it’s not received that’s not something I need to hold onto.  In other words, I am not responsible for how others respond to my love (which by the way comes from God).  I am only responsible to love.  

Jesus was really clear about love – Love God, Love your neighbor.  Jesus also said (John 13:35) that others will know we belong to Jesus by the way we love.  

The followers of the WAY in the early church were known by the way they loved others – the dying, the sick, the broken.  They risked their lives to love others.  They were imprisoned for loving.  They knew that Jesus loved everyone – lepers – tax collectors – the crippled – and they wanted to love as Jesus loves.  Jesus was heavily criticized for loving them but that didn’t matter.  It also didn’t matter if His love was received…He just loved them.  He told his disciples to love everyone and if they were rejected they were to dust off their shoes and move on.  

I have heard sermons that referred to that passage as being a “disregard” for that person – pretend they are no more (so sorry for your luck kind of thing).  I don’t think that’s what Jesus was doing at all because that attitude doesn’t reflect God’s character.  I think Jesus was saying they should clean their feet (dusting them off) and just keep loving that person and the person next to them and the person next to them.  In this day and age, we would say, “take a good hot shower and get over yourself…get back in the game”.  

That day, God was telling me He wants me to love regardless of how it’s received.  Today the worst thing that would happen to me if I love someone is that they will not receive my act of kindness – love – care.  What a small price to pay for loving like Jesus loved.  

My task is to face my fear square in the eye and let God to help me love.  I John 4:18 says, “perfect love casts out fear.”  God’s love, perfect in every way, covers my fear and as I respond to God it will disintegrate.  I only have to choose to receive God’s love and help.  The rest belongs to God.