Love Over Fear

by Cindy Waple

I recently saw a church sign that read: With social distancing, practice love over fear, peace over panic. As Tina Turner famously asked, “What’s love got to do with it?” How can love help with fear and anxiety, especially fear associated with Covid-19?

According to the Bible, love has everything to do with all that is happening, before, during, and after Covid-19. Here are just a few reasons why I believe and cling to this truth.

First, God is love (1 John 4:8,16). God is the source of all unconditional love. Human conditional love is often earned and can be taken away. God loves each and every one of us not because we deserve it, but because it is who He is. There is nothing you or I can do to make God love us more, and there is nothing we can do to lose God’s love. It was because of His great love for us that God sent his Son to die (John 3:16, Romans 5:8, 1 John 4:10). Our human minds cannot even begin to fathom the depth of love God has for each of us! And in His grace and mercy, God has filled our hearts with His love by the Holy Spirit (Romans 5:5).

Second, there are two key transitional moments in the Bible where love is set as a primary imperative. In the book of Deuteronomy, Israel is about to enter the Promised Land, and leadership is changing from Moses to Joshua. Moses offers a farewell address to Israel exhorting them as they move forward to remember the commands and laws of God. He begins with the most important: Israel is to remember that God is one, He is the Lord. And next they are to love Him with all of their heart, soul and strength (Deuteronomy 6:4-6). My simple translation is this: If you remember nothing else, remember this: God is One, and love Him with all of your being!

Now, fast forward over a thousand years, and another key transition is about to take place. Jesus is observing Passover with His disciples. In a few hours He will be arrested and sent to the cross to die. As He finishes the Passover meal, and after Judas has left to betray Him, Jesus gives His disciples a new command: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another (John 13:34-35).

Love is always important to God, and to Jesus, and forms the two greatest commands (Matthew 22:36-40). Love is essential during great transitions, such as we are in at Elim; and especially now in a world with Covid-19. The question we must ask ourselves is: Do I seek to live my life, first and foremost, from a place of unconditional love?

Lastly, we are reminded in 1 John 4:18 that “perfect love expels all fear.” And one of my favorite verses about love and fear reminds us that “with his [God’s] love, he will calm all your fears” (Zephaniah 3:17, NLT). Love wins over fear. Why? I don’t know all of the reasons, but I do know that 2 Timothy 1:7 reminds us that God has not given us a spirit of fear.  But God has given us love.

I would prefer to focus on and live out what God has given me. Fear paralyzes, love frees. We don’t know what will happen tomorrow or the next week or month in this season of Covid-19, but I do know that no matter what happens, nothing will ever separate me from the unfailing, immeasurable love of God (Romans 8:35-39). Here is a beautiful truth about God’s love — He lavishes His love upon us. He fills us with His love, pushing out fear, anxiety and worry. And then we become the conduit of His love toward others, freely sharing what God has graciously given to us.

That is perhaps the greatest gift the Church has to offer the world during this pandemic — unconditional love that conquers fear! I do understand that during these uncertain times fear is a normal response. May we be encouraged, when fear does start to enter our minds, to hit the pause button and turn our attention to God’s love. Meditate on the love scriptures mentioned here, or others that bring you comfort. Let His great love for you and your love for Him flood your heart and soul. And in doing so, we will experience love over fear, and peace over panic.

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