I've been thinking alot about JOY lately.... it is hard to understand why occasionally it isn't there even when all's right in my world. I have been learning, though, that there is something that hides underneath all the layers of the soul which can rob us of the continuous JOY that our Lord has promised.The signs of the cuprit's presence are so subtle that sometimes it takes a little searching to find it. When we look thoroughly enough we will often find that the real source of our anxiety, depression, addictive habits and other unhealthy behaviors is one thing: FEAR. Fear comes in many forms and can be rooted in a variety of things: fear of abandonment; fear of impending disaster; fear of failure, and don't forget a very common one - fear of people!!! Once we discover and face that lurking thing called fear, it behaves very similarly to a cat, which when it's discovered in it's hiding place, runs away!!!
The Bible tells us how to deal with fear. God puts it this way:
1 John 4:18
[ To Love, to Be Loved ] God is love. When we take up permanent residence in a life of love, we live in God and God lives in us. This way, love has the run of the house, becomes at home and mature in us, so that we're free of worry on Judgment Day—our standing in the world is identical with Christ's. There is no room in love for fear. Well-formed love banishes fear. Since fear is crippling, a fearful life—fear of death, fear of judgment—is one not yet fully formed in love.
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