in love there can be no fear

for the past several weeks, I have been adjusting to a new guide to my daily time with Jesus...

the first focus is on God's abounding love for me (for you, too!). it's strange that this can be such a difficult topic to sit with at times.

I found myself resonating deeply with the following statements yesterday:

"unresolved guilt always damages the capacity for love. the reason for this is that the guilty self feels that it deserves punishment. it also feels like a dangerous self. unconscious guilt makes me feel that I have to withdraw from others lest I damage them by my love. this leads to self-preoccupation, and the result is always a serious impairment of my ability to give or receive love."

I often fear punishment and sit in guilt over things I've already been forgiven of.  maybe I am afraid that God's love hasn't fully forgiven me... but, the truth is: "in love there can be no fear, but fear is driven out by perfect love: because to fear is to expect punishment, and anyone who is afraid is still imperfect in love." (1 john 4:18)

I am reflecting on this: "when Israel was a child, I loved him... but the more I called Israel, the further they went from me. they sacrificed to the Baals and they burned incense to images. it was I who taught Ephraim how to walk, taking them by the arms; but they did not realize it was I who healed them. I led them with cords of human kindness, with ties of love; I lifted the yoke from their neck and bent down to feed them." (Hosea 11:1-4)


Oh, Lord, how often I do not realize that you are the one who is teaching me to walk, who heals me, who leads me and feeds me... even if I don't even realize it's you... even if it doesn't look like there is progress in any or all of these areas of my life.


what a lavish love he offers us... even wasteful... how do you feel about God offering a love so abundant that it might even be seen as wasteful?