no fear

Romans 8:28 We know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.

1John 4:18 Perfect Love casts out all fear.

Fear motivates, there's no doubt that fear motivates but oh, I want to be motivated by Love instead. I want my choices to be made because of a heart overflowing with praise for the Author of Love. I want to trust Him so much that I can walk a painfilled path joyfully because I know He will use it for good. I want Love to reign in my life.

How can we be motivated by Love instead of fear?

Memorizing the verses above is a good place to start.

Then getting a Light-filled picture of the truth. What is the truth?

Here's a few of my favorite truths...

Our life here is really short compared to eternity.

I'm soooo not perfect and won't be unless God changes me.

I can trust God completely, totally, utterly.

Love is the most important thing.

John 1:19 This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. 20 Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. 21 But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God."

Here's the next important thing that will enable us to wear a 'no fear' t-shirt;

come into the Light and be exposed.

Let those imperfections (sins) get out into the open and let's see them for what they are and ask God to take away our fearful motives. That frees Him to do things through us. Then it's Love-motivated actions through God working in us.

1 John 4:10 This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. 11 Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 12 No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us. 13 We know that we live in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit.
14 And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. 15 If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in him and he in God. 16 And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him.
17 In this way, love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment, because in this world we are like him. 18 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. 19 We love because he first loved us.

Hey, what's the worst thing that could happen? Now what's the best? Which thought comes from a fearful motive and which from a love-filled, Love trusting life?

Oh I want to choose Love. I want love to be my motive, my goal, my life.