Fear Casts Out Love

The Bible tells us that perfect love casts out fear. But do you know what else is true?

Fear can cast out love.

Being afraid of God causes us to run and hide from Him. That is not the healthy fear of the Lord. It is the kind of fear that makes us try to work *for* love instead of work "because we are already loved".
Until we understand the difference, we can remain trapped in religion.
Religion tells us to work for love. It tells us to perfect ourselves, perform for approval, and make sure everyone—including God—is pleased with us. Then, when we fall short and feel unworthy, we stop trying. We pull away from God or backslide because we believe we will never be good enough.
But behind all of this is a fear-based gospel whispering:
"I am not loved."
"I am not accepted."
"I have to do something more."
But we do not have to do something more to earn the love of God. Jesus has already made the way for us to approach the Father with boldness and confidence.
“Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace.” — Hebrews 4:16
This is where we must understand the difference between the fear of the Lord and being afraid of God.
The fear of the Lord is reverence, honor, and awe. It is recognizing His holiness and refusing to treat His presence casually. But being terrified of God makes us run away, hide, and expect rejection.
You can be afraid of someone you do not love. But true reverence grows as we know God, love Him, and understand His love for us.
That is why being rooted and grounded in love is essential. We need His love to cast out the tormenting fear that makes us hide from Him.
“There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment.” — 1 John 4:18**
For many of us, this fear began in childhood. We learned early that love had to be earned. We felt that we were never good enough, and that if we made a mistake, love might be withdrawn from us.
That is a heartbreaking way to live.
The enemy then uses those wounds to attack our assurance of salvation. He gets inside our thoughts and fills our minds with accusations. That is why the Bible tells us to put on **the helmet of salvation**.
When fear overwhelms our minds, we begin obsessing over whether we are going to hell. We obsess over our failures, guilt, and unworthiness. We struggle under constant condemnation and sometimes mistake that torment for humility or godliness.
But condemnation is not piety.
Constantly declaring ourselves worthless does not honor the cross. It can become another way of saying that what Jesus did was not enough.
Salvation was freely given to us through Christ. We do not have to work to make God love us. However, when we truly receive His love, obedience should naturally flow from it.
Working *for* God’s love and obeying God *because we love Him* are two entirely different things.
One flows from fear.
The other flows from love.
One says, “I must perform so that God will accept me.”
The other says, “Because God has accepted and loved me, I want my life to please Him.”
How can we freely love someone while living in terror of them?
Perhaps you were terrified in a relationship where someone claimed to love you. Maybe you were punished, controlled, rejected, or abused by someone who continually called it love. That can deeply confuse your understanding of God.
But there is no darkness in Him.
God is not like the people who wounded you. He is not waiting for you to make a mistake so He can reject you. Through the cross, Jesus made a way for you to be reconciled to the Father and stand before Him covered by grace.
You do not have to live terrified.
You can have peace.
If you are constantly tormented in your mind, fear may be distorting the way you understand God’s love. Do not allow the enemy to talk you out of the assurance, peace, and identity Christ has given you.
You are a beloved child of God.
You have been accepted in the Beloved.
“He made us accepted in the Beloved.” — Ephesians 1:6
It was God’s pleasure to create you. It was His love that sent Jesus to rescue you.
If you have never truly experienced that love, ask Him today:
“Father, show me how much You love me. Heal the fear that makes me hide from You. Teach me how to obey You from love rather than perform for acceptance.”
Then look at the cross.
See the arms of Jesus stretched open as an eternal invitation to come home—to come out of hiding, lay down your fear, and receive the love you could never earn but that He freely chose to give.
You do not have to work to become loved.
In Christ, you work, serve, and obey because you already are.
Jaziz Gutierrez

Get Real Love by Being Authentic

Authenticity is the key to unlocking your true self, staying true to your personality, values, and spirit, irrespective of external pressures urging you to act otherwise. It's about being honest with both yourself and others while taking responsibility for your mistakes. It is also the key to R.E.A.L connection and love.

Unfortunately, we create a false self because we were never accepted for who we were as children. We could never measure up or feel worthy enough to feel loved. Many of us constructed a false self as a defense mechanism, shaped by childhood experiences where acceptance was elusive. Feeling unworthy of love, we often conceal our true selves behind a facade of pride to mask shame, fear, and rejection. In the process, we inadvertently push away those who genuinely care for us.

The unmet needs of our childhood led us to find other ways to get those needs met such as manipulation, intimidation, domination, seduction, self-pity, and a host of other controlling behaviors. We often mimic what we see at home and when getting our way becomes our end goal; we end up creating a false self to get what we want. The desire for love and acceptance drives the false self. Consequently, we live inauthentically, failing to meet the imaginary standards set by others or ourselves, leading to a build-up of shame and anger. 

The repercussions of this lack of self-love manifest in patterns of self-sabotage, self-hatred, and destructive behaviors, hindering our ability to have genuine love and compassion for others. Our needs getting met takes priority over others. We only say or do what they want to hear. We are in survival mode. We often become oblivious to the casualties of our actions.

Is there a better way? Absolutely! Here are steps to guide you toward authenticity:

Trust in God: Rely on God to meet your needs; unlike unreliable or absent parents, He is steadfast and reliable. There is no need to manage things on your own.

Release Fear: Authentic love cannot coexist with fear. Let go of fear-driven controlling behaviors that drive people away. Realize your fear suffocates people and they deserve to breathe. Fear kills relationships this way.

Recognize Unconditional Love: Realize that you are already loved and accepted by God; there's no need to fake it until you make it. Love out of the revelation and overflow of being loved.

Prioritize Others: Prioritize loving people over getting what you want from them. All narcissistic behaviors are rooted in the "me" first mindset. While you might get what you want on a short-term basis you are robbing yourself of authentic love and relationships because people are eventually put off by this behavior.

Let go of Pride: Shed the barriers of pride preventing you from becoming your authentic self. No longer use pride as a defense mechanism that fends off people from your wounded self.

Release Shame: Don't allow accusatory thoughts to keep you in self-destructive patterns. You are not your behavior.

Relinquish Control: Trust in God's process and commit your ways to Him, allowing Him to manage the relationships in your life.

Heal Inner Wounds: Address the wounds that fuel inner chaos, rejection, and insecurity. Don't bleed on people just because you haven't taken the time to heal.

Abandon Retaliation: Refrain from hurting others in response to their actions; let God be the ultimate defender. Learn to be a safe person that people can feel comfortable being around.

Avoid Excuses: Take responsibility for your actions, and don't make excuses for bad behavior. Real people have real problems and they take responsibility for what they do. Blaming others disempowers you and keeps you in a victim mindset.

Seek Self-Discovery: Allow God to guide you in discovering your true self, understanding that self-love is a journey. You are worth the effort and the love.

Stick to Values: Adhere to your values and convictions, ensuring they align with true biblical values such as love, humility, and Christ-like character.

The end result of embracing authenticity is self-love, a powerful force that, in turn, enables love for others. By prioritizing genuine connections, we pave the way for mutual love and the fulfillment of our needs in legitimate ways. Embrace authenticity, and you'll find yourself on the path to R.E.A.L connection: Respect, Encouragement, Acceptance, and Love. ✨️ When you're real, you get R.E.A.L. love.

YouTube Link Here Get Real Love by Being Authentic Video

Made In The Image of Love

In the beginning the glory of God covered man and woman.  They freely walked around the garden clothed in the garments of His love and fellowship until the day that Satan broke the mirror and caused them to see something other than the image they were created in - God's image.  When they saw each other they saw the image of love because God is love.  The banner over them was love. Songs of Solomon 2:4  Nothing could be more attractive than God's image.  Yet in an instance that image was broken and it gave way to another image.  The image of shame, sin, and separation from love itself .  Not only did they hide themselves from God but from each other.  The transparency of relationship could no longer be enjoyed because they could no longer see God's image.  They could only see each other...the fallen image.