Day 5: Don't be afraid...

This whole process of loving people might be really easy for you.  But you would probably find yourself in the minority.  It is sometimes really hard to love others because we worry about what they will think of us if we are who we want to be in front of them.  Will they think we are weird?  Interfering?  A Bible-bashing do-gooder?  Will they not respond in the way that we expect or will they turn away? 

Isn't it easier to just pray from a distance and not actually get involved with the messiness of being close to people altogether?  Honestly, probably yes.  But is this "following the example of Christ" as Ephesians 5:2 tells us to?  Definitely not.

We don't have to worry about how other people are going to respond or what they are going to think of us in the way that we do - we only need to look again at 1 John 4 to be encouraged, in verses 16-18:

God is love and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them.  And as we live in God, our love grows more perfect.  So we will not be afraid on the day of judgment, but we can face him with confidence because we live like Jesus here in this world.  Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear.

If you have time, try to read the whole chapter of 1 John 4 today and let its truth speak to your heart.  Be encouraged and ask God to fill you once again with His perfect love.

For the kids:
Sometimes people don't respond how we think they are going to and this can be confusing.  Sometimes we worry about whether people are still going to want to be our friends if we tell them about Jesus.  We should never be scared of trying to love peopel or sharing Jesus with them.  Always remember that God loves us so we don't ever need to be afraid of anything.

Do you worry about what other people think?  Is there anything else you are afraid of?  Ask God to help you understand how much he loves you and how big he is, and give your fears to God.  You might want to write or draw them on a piece of paper and then pray together as a family - then throw those papers in the bin while you think about his verse from 1 John 4:18 - "perfect love expels all fear" - this means that perfect love, the love God has for you, will drive that fear far, far away, never to come back and bother you again.