CANDY, CANDY, CANDY

"There is no fear in love, but perfect love drives out fear because fear expects punishment. The person who is afraid has not been made perfect in love." (1 John 4:18 CEB).

Halloween is usually associated with fear—fear of death, fear of dying, fear of evil. I grew up associating it with CANDY!  It was not until I was a teenager and joined some friends at an East Dallas Haunted House that I felt the darkness associated with the holiday.  When I came to know the true power and trustworthiness of God, many of the fears I had in life melted away. Still, fear is a natural and good feeling. Without fear we would make many stupid mistakes, hurting ourselves and others in the process. Without fear, we would not have enough wisdom to escape when we find ourselves in a dangerous situation. 

One of the ways people deal with their fears is by making fun of the fear itself. That, in fact, is part of the origin of Halloween, which means "all hallows eve." People were naturally afraid of death and dying, and so they decided to face their greatest fear by making fun of death. In 1 John, we are told that perfected love drives out fear. In other words, when we become convinced of God's love, we don't have to be afraid anymore. It's as if God is the parent who comes in at night and tucks us in, turns on the night light, and tells us that there are no monsters. In God's great love, all fear melts away.

Another way I’ve found of removing fears is by serving others. When we abandon our lives in service, we often discover that our fears lessen as our friendship and love deepens. As you and I think about our fears now, let’s concentrate on God’s protection.  Let’s focus our attention on His redemption. Let’s rest in His protection and love, even when death comes calling for us, GOD IS THERE!