By Linda Hogue

One of the verses that is quoted a bit more than some others in the Bible is, “Perfect love casts out fear” (1 John 4:18). That is a true statement. When we know we are loved, or when we love, fear disappears. It is at least minimized. I don't fear those who love me. And I am not afraid of those I love.

I was thinking of how that verse plays out in reverse: “Fear casts out perfect love.” This thought was prompted by an observation about fearful people. They don't know love. It's not that they aren't loved, but they don't know it, or can't experience it.

Fear brings with it a boatload of baggage. We fear, so we hide. We fear, so we criticize. We fear, so we are angry. Fear keeps us from learning, from trying new things, from enjoying friendships. We fear so many things. We fear loss, so we pretend not to care. We fear what others think, so we never express ourselves. We fear poverty, so we hoard. Fear motivates us to be – unmotivated.

But I'm not sure that knowing God loves us is enough. It is certainly better than not knowing, or not believing that He does, but what if we never experience it? Is it enough to just know? This is a call to action. How will anyone know God loves them if no one else does? Is that believable? If I say to someone in need, “Jesus loves you,” and I have the capacity to help meet that need and don't, am I speaking a truth that can be understood and accepted?

This is also a call to trust. Fear is the opposite of trust. Trust must be earned, and it must be learned. Trust God with your love of others. Trust God to show you who needs love, trust God to show you how to express that love, and trust that they will know it is God behind it. But first of all, and this is paramount, trust that God loves YOU!