The other morning out of no where, I had an interesting thought that lifted me further than I expected. I was sitting in a chair when this thought popped into my head:
What If…
What if you replaced the word “fear” in the Bible with the word “love”?
While I was pondering this uninvited thought, I recalled the verse,
“There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment.” - 1 John 4:18
And there was the affirming statement. There is no fear in love. Love casts out fear.
So I grabbed my bible app and searched for the “fear of God”, the “fear of the Lord”, and anything that had to do with God and fear. I then replaced the word “fear” with “love” and BLAM! It worked. Love literally casted out fear and the words, the meanings, The Message, took on new life.
Here are some small examples of what it might look like if we let love replace fear:
“The secret of the Lord is with those who love Him..”
“Oh, love the Lord, you His saints! There is no want those who love Him.”
“Come my children, listen to me, and I will teach you the love of the Lord.”
“The love of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom…”
“…blessed is the man who loves the Lord…”
“You who love the Lord, trust the Lord. He is their help and their shield.”
“The Lord is on my side. I will love. What can man do to me?”
You could do this forever. It works almost everywhere.
“I will praise you because I am lovingly and wonderfully made. This my soul knows very well…”
Even God says this in the Bible, “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. DO NOT BE AFRAID. Do not be discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”
Do you see it? “Be strong. Be courageous. Love. I’m here. I am with you. No matter what.”
Love asks us not to run in fear. Love asks us to stand still and know that It is here. Love is always surrounding us, giving us wisdom, truth, and courage. Love says, “Trust me, I’m here. Do not be afraid.”
There is no fear in Love. So Love. Do not be afraid. Do not fear.
Fear involves torment. That means fear involves suffering. Buddha says attachment is the cause of suffering. Maybe attachment is just the fear of loss cleverly disguising itself. Maybe the easiest way to let go of our attachments, our ideas, our opinions, and end our sufferings is to let love cast them out.
Love is the beginning of wisdom. Love is the foundation of courage. Love is the truth of who we are. Love is the shield that protects us from fear. Love is the gift that keeps giving, especially when we give it, and when we let it, when we choose it.
I don’t know. That’s my crazy idea. It’s not much I know, but it has stayed with me for a few days now, so I thought I would write it out.
Love. Be bold. Be Courageous. There’s something powerful there, here. But maybe that’s just Love.