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Committed Love

There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear.  1 John 4:18

 

When I understand something of Christ's love for me as a sinner, I respond with love for Christ--and that love includes feelings and emotions.

But emotions come and go, and we must not allow them to mislead us. God loves me , whether I feel it or not. Christians who gauge their relationship with Christ only by their feelings seldom have a stable spiritual life.

What makes the difference? It can be summarized in one word: commitment. Feelings come and go, but commitment stays. We who have committed our lives to Christ may feel joy, gratitude, love, and so on. But even when we don't have those feelings, our commitment keeps us true to Christ.

This commitment not only keeps us faithful to Christ when we don't feel like it, but it also keeps away negative emotions such as doubt and fear. John Witherspoon, the only cleric to sign the Declaration of Independence, once said, "It is only the fear of God that can deliver us from the fear of man."

From, HOPE for Each Day: Morning & Evening Devotions, by Billy Graham.