Love Or Fear

Love – Deep affection or intense desire for another. Selfless dedication to another.
Fear – Deep apprehension or intense anxiety. Anticipation of adversity or misfortune.

“Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails.”

“There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear.”

In every conversation, every human interaction, every day of every life we have the choice to love or fear. All that we do and say is motivated by either love or fear. When we are wronged, mistreated, or misunderstood do we confront in love or do we rise up to seek vindication through fear? To speak to another from a place of fear will reap in return the stirred up fear of that other person. The cycle continues like a merry-go-round. Fear breeds fear. Fear of rejection, fear of hurt, fear of failure, fear of being exposed for who we really are, fear of not being enough, fear of being too much. The things we fear are endless and the ways in which we operate everyday based on those fears are ongoing. On the other hand, if we invest in others from a motivation of love, it sets both us and the other person free to interact and respond without fear because perfect love casts out fear. To approach relationship being motivated by a genuine desire for the good of another no matter what, could transform the way we live our lives. Many times we don’t even know what we are doing. We don’t stop to think about what is behind the conflict, the words, the attitude, or the behavior.

What would happen if I could be completely satisfied in God’s approval of me and being centered in that satisfaction, I was able to respond to everyone in my life from a place of love, not to get love in return but simply for love’s sake. When I no longer seek approval from people, knowing that another person is not the verdict on who I am or what I am worth, then I am free to love people without seeking their love in return. There are no guarantees in life. Though it would be nice to give love only when we are certain that it’s safe or certain that the outcome will be love returned, that undermines love itself. Love, by definition is selfless, it doesn’t seek its own. If we wait to give love until we have a guarantee, we will never love.