Are you here, because of love?

"There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love." - 1 John 4:18

Many of us joined the Christian faith - out of fear. 

As children, some of us were asked to follow our parents to church, or else we would be punished. Many responded to the altar call message out of fear of the eternal punishment of hellfire. A good number of Christians follow biblical instructions, because of fear of God's wrath on disobedience (or their pastor's disapproval at the least).

Fear is a strong motivator, and it has been employed by many with good intentions. But this was not the motive God wanted us to have for joining His family. He loves us and wants us to come, because of love. 

As a Christian, you may have come this far, in fear. But fear can only take you so far. Fear will not answer your doubts. Fear will not help you defend your faith amidst the rising tide of godlessness. Fear will not answer the difficult "why's" of faith. Fear will not remind you in troubling times that "greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world". 

It's time to come - because of love. 

Revisit your perception of God. Have you envisioned God as an unsmiling angry taskmaster upstairs, waiting for you to misstep so He can flog you? It is time for a mental transformation by the renewing of your mind. It is time to see Him in a different light - as the Loving, Merciful, and Kind Father He is. 

See the King, whose amazing love made Him turn Himself to a servant who died for you.

See the Merciful One, who forgives you every time you ask, and casts your misdeeds into a sea of forgetfulness.

See the Redeemer, whose untiring pursuit of you endured many generations of unfaithful humans and idolatrous civilizations till He ensured His plan for your redemption was completed in His Son Jesus.

See God as He really is, and you'll see how easy it is to fall in love with Him.

As a start on your journey to love, may I ask you to do something? Please take out time to read the book of 1st John (John's first letter - different from the Gospel of John, which comes after that of Luke)? It has 5 chapters, and each of those chapters represents one of the crispest narrations in the Bible of God's display of love to you. I trust God will open the eyes of your understanding as you read, and unlock a new level of revelation for you of His love for you. 

Grace and peace.