Love exs Fear



For the first time in my life, I finally understand this phrase – “perfect love casts out fear.” I have often wondered what it meant and how to apply it, mainly because every time I read the phrase, it was in the context of the Bible only. For a long time, since I didn’t know the meaning, the application also eluded me.

And then, this morning, it hit me! In a subtle “aha!” moment, I finally understood what I had sought for years. I recently found myself at the helm of a new venture and I was terrified, completely lost on how to proceed without making a mess of the success it had already achieved. As I tried to reach my logical self to overcome my fear, I began to question why I was so afraid.

Was it that I don’t have the skills and competence to manage the task? No, I could do this well, even in my sleep. And it wasn’t that I didn’t have the necessary support from the people around me. Then, it hit me. I was so hyped, fearless, and passionate about the things I really loved to do, even when I wasn’t the most competent person to do them, but I was afraid to do the things I didn’t really love. In that moment, it sank in: perfect love does cast out fear! 

Every time I watch a football match, I am amazed at how those players can be calm under that kind of pressure. With thousands of people staring at them, some just waiting for them to fail, how can they possibly play well? It’s simple—they love the game. They love the game so much that they fight their fears and live out their passions.

Don’t we see this every day?  A child who can barely interact with peers comes alive when he/she is on the stage singing a song he/she really loves. Or a timid person transforms into a five-star culinary genius in a cooking competition. Or a mom who jumps in front of a moving car to save her child. Love always overcomes fear. 

What did I take away from this realization? Fear is and always will be one of the greatest inhibitors of success. One sure cure for it is passion – love what you are afraid of. Whether you love it instinctively or you train yourself to fall in love with it, if you are to succeed at anything, you’ve got to love it fervently. So, go wild with what you have at hand, love it passionately and succeed beyond limits; truly, only perfect love can cast out fear!

Blog post image courtesy of Teerapun at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Comments

  1. Wow! This is so true. This is the best article i have read in while. May God bless your soul

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  2. Thanks for your comment, I'm glad it touched you as much as it touched me to write it :)

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  3. I like a definition of Fear I once heard. False Evidence Appearing Real. So in the spirit of passion and faith...we will always surmount perceived mountains.

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  4. I like a definition of Fear I once heard. False Evidence Appearing Real. So in the spirit of passion and faith...we will always surmount perceived mountains.

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  5. You are right Funmi. Someone once said, "do it afraid." Love, passion makes you do just that.

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  6. Absolutely. Because whatever you are not afraid of venturing into is not sufficient enough to trust God. And the wisest wisdom is daring.

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