On the last morning of our stay at a local hotel, one of the hotel staff had written on a leaf the curious words, "Fear less, Love more." Perhaps to them it was what they settled on writing to each of their guests. Perhaps they saw it written elsewhere and thought it a nice thing to write to their guests in English. Lord Jesus, what, if anything are you causing my heart to pause at these words?
Fear Less, Love More
I John 4:18-19 declares..."God is love. When we take up permanent residence in a life of love, we live in God and God lives in us. This way, love has the run of the house, becomes at home and mature in us, so that we’re free of worry on Judgment Day—our standing in the world is identical with Christ’s. There is no room in love for fear. Well-formed love banishes fear. Since fear is crippling, a fearful life—fear of death, fear of judgment—is one not yet fully formed in love. We, though, are going to love—love and be loved. First we were loved, now we love. He loved us first."-MSG
Again, in the ESV version, "There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love. We love because he first loved us."
The Lord has been speaking to my heart on the above in the past few weeks. Amazingly so, the Lord can use even a seemingly random gesture to reinforce His words to our hearts. I spent the morning asking the Lord what He wants to speak to my heart about the above statement, if anything?
I spent the next bit of time looking up various verses on God's love. Great reminders, sure anchors, course correctors.
As I was praying, the Lord brought to mind the movie entitled The Professor and the Madman. The summation of the longing to receive and to give love was teased out in this gripping plot. The conclusion of which, one of the main characters, was not convinced of his worthiness of being "loved". The statement, "If love, then what?" was a clear call to realize that that one reality would change everything, if only one could believe it to be true. How much more so the bounty of the Father's great defining love and affection for each of us. God IS love.
To "be" the heart of the Father, to abide in the constant of His unchanging love and embrace is never to be bifurcated from the "doing" the heart of the Father. Great reminders, sure anchors, course correctors.
A recent conversation found me connecting with a French national. As we both awaited check in to our international flights, I shared with her that I am a follower of the Lord Jesus Christ; who is the real deal, in real time, in real ways. We spent the next hour in a God-ordained time in the airport departure lounge sharing with one another over a cup of coffee. She peppered me with questions about what this relationship with Christ looks like and that she had spent her last three months in the Ind*ne*ia* islands wondering what her purpose in life was meant to be.
I shared with her the themes of "if God's love is the only love worthy, then what?" Then,... this changes EVERYTHING! I shared the gospel. Though she was not ready to trust the Lord as her Lord and Savior at that moment, I challenged her to take next steps to discover God's incredible love. Off she flew to her home of Paris, onward I flew to life among UPGs in Indonesia. Any one, any where, any time.
To trust God for the launch of cascading Movements to Christ is never to be a divergent thought in the heart of the disciple of Jesus. Movements are never the end goal, however, the ways in which God gets the glory when others are making disciples who hear, love and obey Jesus is the prime real estate for each of our hearts to be engaged in.
Fear God more, fear man less.
Love Jesus more, be His love empowered by the Holy Spirit.
What a joy, what a privilege.
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