Dear Amy,

Here’s another observation on plain old fear, also from John’s first letter. The punchline is “perfect love drives out fear” (1 Jn 4:18), but to understand what he is saying you have to read the whole passage⸺the golden rule, always!

I’ll string some of it together. “If we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us” (v12). “Love is made complete … because in this world we are like him” (v17).

What drives out fear, then? We must be Christ to one another, one relationship at a time. One conversation at a time. If we love as Christ loved us, we live in right relationship with God and with one another. Perspective is restored, and fear is dissipated.

I pray you may know the power of this in your own life, Amy. 🙏