Why does a person fear?

1John 4:18  Where God's love is, there is no fear, because God's perfect love takes away fear. It is his punishment that makes a person fear. So his love is not made perfect in the one who has fear. 

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This verse is usually memorized... at least the first part of it.  

And it is a beautiful verse to memorize.  It brings comfort and hope that God will always be demonstrating His love to us.  But it also calls us to think responsibly about why we may have fear in our hearts.

This verse  shows us the redeeming power of God to always provide for our mental well being.  If we continue looking at what God's love can do for us, we keep smiling.  But perhaps we should be a bit more practical about this passage -- we need to put it into practice!

As the pressures of life surround us, when bills pile up after unexpected expenses, or when a death of a loved one causes us to reflect on our own life and vitality, and when the stresses of our job come rushing into our minds.... what is the typical reaction?

We begin to worry, we run "what if" scenarios, even developing contingency plans perhaps?  That worry can turn into a fear... and we have become afraid of our circumstances.

In this Bible passage, the origin of the word "fear" comes from the Greek "phobos."  Yes, this is the word that is known in psychology as phobia.  A phobia is an anxiety disorder, and describes the persistent fear where the person commits to great lengths in avoiding a situation, even when recognized as irrational in his or her reasoning for avoidance of that situation.

So, blessings upon you as you reflect on the fears in your life.  May those fears be replaced with God's perfect love.

Heilig Heilig Heilig ist der Herr Gott Allmächtig!