Perfect Love Casts Out Fear Pt. 2

Hello! This is an update from the first post of Perfect Love Casts Out Fear. I have learned to love and trust again. God has been showing me just how much I have failed in loving others as I should. I have neglected to do one part of what I am on earth to do, love others the best I can. Our mission is to love the people God has placed in our lives to the best of our ability. Everything we ever wanted lies on the other side of the door of love.

1. I have felt so hurt that I was afraid of getting hurt more, but I realized that the pain of isolation is worse than any pain people can cause you by hurting your feelings. You just have to choose your pain. Everything comes at a price, but love is worth the price. C.S. Lewis said: "If you love deeply, you're going to get hurt badly. But it's still worth it."

Always choose love because it's what God commands us to do, and He obviously knows what's best for us. Loving others truly is what's best for us: mentally, physically and emotionally. We need that human connection with others. No man is an island. I have to remember that because my tendency is to want to do everything all by myself. I have realized I can't do everything by myself and live a happy life. An isolated life is a miserable life, much more painful than anything else.


Matthew 22:36-40

 “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?”

Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’  On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.”


2. Do whatever it takes to reconcile and make amends with people. Do whatever it takes to live at peace.

Romans 12:18

"If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men."

At the point I wrote the first blog I said sometimes reconciliation will not be possible, but I have changed my mind. Reconciliation is possible almost always. We must love others and let them love us. We must make amends even if the relationship does not continue. Sometimes the relationship will not be able to continue, but we can still make amends and end things peacefully and respectfully and get good closure. We must come clean and take responsibility for anything we have done wrong towards the other person.

Jesus said:
Matthew 5:23-25

"Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.  Agree with your adversary quickly, while you are on the way with him, lest your adversary deliver you to the judge, the judge hand you over to the officer, and you be thrown into prison.


3. Don't wait for people to do things you know you must do. Do them regardless of what other people do.

4. We must live in a place of trust and love. The enemy of our souls (Satan) wants us to live in a place of mistrust and fear. This is not of God. Make a determination to love people and trust them. If you trust God you can trust others, because you know nothing they can do to you can ultimately harm you. God is for you and watching out for you. Even if others hurt you, know that God will comfort you, help you and make it better than before. God specializes in using all things for good.

5. Live in the truth. Be honest with others always and your relationships will be so much better. Come clean about everything in your life that you feel you must share, even if you're afraid.


John 8:31-32

The Truth Shall Make You Free
Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”

1 John 1:7

"But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin."


6. Jesus showed us how to love with perfect love. He loved His enemies regardless of what they did to Him. It's our job to love others that God has placed in our life to the best of our ability, no matter what kind of people they are.

Jesus said:
Matthew 5:44

"But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you,"


Jesus also trusted someone He knew would betray Him (Judas Iscariot). Of course He knew Judas would betray Him, but trusted so deeply in God that He trusted nothing Judas could do to Him could ruin God's plan. Jesus still allowed Judas to be in His inner circle even though He knew Judas would betray Him! We may have a Judas in our midst, but we must trust God so deeply that we know nothing anyone can do to us can destroy God's plan for our lives.

This is the part about Judas:
John 13:21-27

When Jesus had said these things, He was troubled in spirit, and testified and said, “Most assuredly, I say to you, one of you will betray Me.”  Then the disciples looked at one another, perplexed about whom He spoke.

Now there was leaning on Jesus’ bosom one of His disciples, whom Jesus loved. Simon Peter therefore motioned to him to ask who it was of whom He spoke.

Then, leaning back on Jesus’ breast, he said to Him, “Lord, who is it?”

Jesus answered, “It is he to whom I shall give a piece of bread when I have dipped it.” And having dipped the bread, He gave it to Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon.  Now after the piece of bread, Satan entered him. Then Jesus said to him, “What you do, do quickly.”


It is so much happier to live in a place of complete trust and confidence in God that we aren't worried about anything others can do to us. God is so much greater and His plan will happen! Nothing and no one is greater or more powerful than God!

Romans 8:31

God’s Everlasting Love
"What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?"

“To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything and your heart will be wrung and possibly broken. If you want to make sure of keeping it intact you must give it to no one, not even an animal. Wrap it carefully round with hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglements. Lock it up safe in the casket or coffin of your selfishness. But in that casket, safe, dark, motionless, airless, it will change. It will not be broken; it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable. To love is to be vulnerable.”


― C.S. Lewis, The Four Loves