Friday, May 16, 2025
Casting Aside All Worry as we Trust in Christ
1 John 4:18-19
"18 There is no fear in love, but perfect love drives out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love. 19 We love, because He first loved us."
NO FEAR IN LOVE! Intimidation, mocking, demeaning, the need to control, and manipulation are all aspects of fear.
The perfect love of God casts out fear. One of the works of the enemy is to cause fear to dilute our walk, our progress and keep us stuck in relationships that devalue our walk.
Satan wants to seal our peace. If he can do this we will become disabled in the work God has given us to do.
"Fear involves torment." God removes that punishment-based emotion when God casts out fear.
The fear comes when we are performance-based, worrying continually about being exactly what God wants us to be. We need to rest in Christ, so that He will do in us what is needed. We have no need to worry continually that God is angry with us.
Pretenders like rules that bring about guilt over everything. They base their Christianity on how good they think they are without ever repenting from anything.
We love Christ because He first loved us! He works in us, and we can rest in that alone. As He works in us, we grow in holiness and emotional and Spiritual depth.
If we are trying real hard to be right with God, worrying all the time if we have done enough or look good enough to others, then we are walking fleshly, depending on ourselves.
May we each seek Christ to change us, grow us and continually grace us with His wisdom so that all worry is cast aside.
"18 There is no fear in love, but perfect love drives out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love. 19 We love, because He first loved us."
NO FEAR IN LOVE! Intimidation, mocking, demeaning, the need to control, and manipulation are all aspects of fear.
The perfect love of God casts out fear. One of the works of the enemy is to cause fear to dilute our walk, our progress and keep us stuck in relationships that devalue our walk.
Satan wants to seal our peace. If he can do this we will become disabled in the work God has given us to do.
"Fear involves torment." God removes that punishment-based emotion when God casts out fear.
The fear comes when we are performance-based, worrying continually about being exactly what God wants us to be. We need to rest in Christ, so that He will do in us what is needed. We have no need to worry continually that God is angry with us.
Pretenders like rules that bring about guilt over everything. They base their Christianity on how good they think they are without ever repenting from anything.
We love Christ because He first loved us! He works in us, and we can rest in that alone. As He works in us, we grow in holiness and emotional and Spiritual depth.
If we are trying real hard to be right with God, worrying all the time if we have done enough or look good enough to others, then we are walking fleshly, depending on ourselves.
May we each seek Christ to change us, grow us and continually grace us with His wisdom so that all worry is cast aside.
Walking with Those Who are Like-Minded
People who think similarly to us are those we can trust because we know they understand us. God said that two cannot walk together who are not agreed!
Amos 3:3
"3 Can two walk together, except they be agreed?"
2 Corinthians 6:14
"Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership can righteousness have with wickedness? Or what fellowship does light have with darkness?"
1 Corinthians 1:10
"I appeal to you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree together, so that there may be no divisions among you and that you may be united in mind and conviction."
Philippians 2:2
"then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being united in spirit and purpose."
Ephesians 4:3
"and with diligence to preserve the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace."
John 17:21
"that all of them may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I am in You. May they also be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me."
There is only one way believers can agree, and that is for all concerned to be seeking the Holy Spirit in all things. There can be no unity when there is pride and self-seeking to appear superior. Christ is our unity, and He says the same thing to every believer if they will seek Him.
I have witnessed ungodly spouses, even those who attend church, cause a regression in the spirit of their marriage partner because of the influence of their spouse. It grieves my heart to watch the degradation of the believing spouse married to a pretender. Choosing a life-mate who will honor God is vital for those who trust in Christ. To discern this, we must be in the Word and prayer, refusing to give in to the ungodly worldly ways of a pretender.
Many people who love God are married to pretenders, diluting the Spiritual and emotional growth of the believer. One must be very strong to remain faithful to Christ when they are continually battered by he pretender with accusations that are against God's Word.
Pretenders can only have a form of godliness but they deny the ways of Christ through scripture twisting and hostility to correction from the word. This is the world we live in now, most people in church gatherings are pretenders, never going emotionally and spiritually while diluting the walk of others.
2 Timothy 3:13 "wicked people and impostors will go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived."
Isaiah 41:10
"Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be afraid, for I am your God. I will strengthen you; I will surely help you; I will uphold you with My righteous right hand."
Amos 3:3
"3 Can two walk together, except they be agreed?"
2 Corinthians 6:14
"Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership can righteousness have with wickedness? Or what fellowship does light have with darkness?"
1 Corinthians 1:10
"I appeal to you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree together, so that there may be no divisions among you and that you may be united in mind and conviction."
Philippians 2:2
"then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being united in spirit and purpose."
Ephesians 4:3
"and with diligence to preserve the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace."
John 17:21
"that all of them may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I am in You. May they also be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me."
There is only one way believers can agree, and that is for all concerned to be seeking the Holy Spirit in all things. There can be no unity when there is pride and self-seeking to appear superior. Christ is our unity, and He says the same thing to every believer if they will seek Him.
I have witnessed ungodly spouses, even those who attend church, cause a regression in the spirit of their marriage partner because of the influence of their spouse. It grieves my heart to watch the degradation of the believing spouse married to a pretender. Choosing a life-mate who will honor God is vital for those who trust in Christ. To discern this, we must be in the Word and prayer, refusing to give in to the ungodly worldly ways of a pretender.
Many people who love God are married to pretenders, diluting the Spiritual and emotional growth of the believer. One must be very strong to remain faithful to Christ when they are continually battered by he pretender with accusations that are against God's Word.
Pretenders can only have a form of godliness but they deny the ways of Christ through scripture twisting and hostility to correction from the word. This is the world we live in now, most people in church gatherings are pretenders, never going emotionally and spiritually while diluting the walk of others.
2 Timothy 3:13 "wicked people and impostors will go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived."
Philippians 4:6-7
"Be anxious for nothing, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."
"Be anxious for nothing, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."
Isaiah 41:10
"Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be afraid, for I am your God. I will strengthen you; I will surely help you; I will uphold you with My righteous right hand."
Labels Mean Very Little Attitudes and Actions are Everything
"The Experts" in the psychology industry say that there is a particular criterion that diagnoses narcissism, and without those particular traits listed, one cannot be labeled a narcissist.
However, from my perspective, if someone is consistently rude, covert, and mean, it doesn't matter whether they are labeled or not; they still remain someone reasonable people would not enjoy considering their friends.
There have been times when I shared with someone a private thought because they seemed open and even asked questions, believing it would be held in confidence, only to find out later they shared that information with others, with a twist of their own interpretation.
When we see this happen, we know the person sharing the information, changing it to fit their desired narrative, is not a person who can be trusted with personal information.
Betraying our trust is a deal-breaker for a relationship. When we love people, we don't spend time judging every little thing, and we don't share sensitive things with those who love gossip. Making guesses about people without enough information is a tactic favored by the narcissist. And, with gossip, there is never enough truth expressed. They love to embellish tidbits of a story to make it sound worse than it is or to sound bad when it was actually good.
Proverbs 11:13: "A gossip betrays a confidence, but a trustworthy person keeps a secret."
Proverbs 20:19: "He who reveals secrets is a constant gossip; avoid the one who babbles with his lips."
Gossip is sharing information about others that has nothing to do with us. Sharing a story of something that happened to us is not gossip, but we must be careful with whom we share; there are few people in our day who will keep a confidence, share in our trials, and believe us when we are vulnerable.
James 3:14-16
"But if you harbor bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast in it or deny the truth. Such wisdom does not come from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every evil practice."
Jealousy and envy are at the root of gossip that ultimately ruins the reputations of others and without understanding of the true events.
1 Corinthians 3:3
"for you are still worldly. For since there is jealousy and dissension among you, are you not worldly? Are you not walking in the way of man?"
Ephesians 4:31
"Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, outcry and slander, along with every form of malice."
Proverbs 16:28
"A froward man soweth strife: and a whisperer separateth chief friends."
When we love one another, we are pleased about our friend's blessings, even sharing in those feelings of happiness for our friend."
Romans 12:15 "Rejoice with those who rejoice; weep with those who weep."
Galatians 6:1-3 "1 Brothers, if someone is caught in a trespass, you who are spiritual should restore him with a spirit of gentleness. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted. 2 Carry one another’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. 3 If anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself.…"
John 13:34-35
"A new commandment I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you also must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are My disciples, if you love one another.”
Romans 15:1-2
"We who are strong ought to bear with the shortcomings of the weak and not to please ourselves. Each of us should please his neighbor for his good, to build him up."
1 Corinthians 12:25-26
"So that there should be no division in the body, but that its members should have mutual concern for one another. If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it."
When we live into the love of Christ, our walk with Christ will be sweet, and those we love will be blessed.
1 Corinthians 13:4-8
"4 Love is patient, love is kind, it is not jealous; love does not brag, it is not arrogant. 5 It does not act disgracefully, it does not seek its own benefit; it is not provoked, does not keep an account of a wrong suffered, 6 it does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; 7 it keeps every confidence, it believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things."
However, from my perspective, if someone is consistently rude, covert, and mean, it doesn't matter whether they are labeled or not; they still remain someone reasonable people would not enjoy considering their friends.
There have been times when I shared with someone a private thought because they seemed open and even asked questions, believing it would be held in confidence, only to find out later they shared that information with others, with a twist of their own interpretation.
When we see this happen, we know the person sharing the information, changing it to fit their desired narrative, is not a person who can be trusted with personal information.
Betraying our trust is a deal-breaker for a relationship. When we love people, we don't spend time judging every little thing, and we don't share sensitive things with those who love gossip. Making guesses about people without enough information is a tactic favored by the narcissist. And, with gossip, there is never enough truth expressed. They love to embellish tidbits of a story to make it sound worse than it is or to sound bad when it was actually good.
Proverbs 11:13: "A gossip betrays a confidence, but a trustworthy person keeps a secret."
Proverbs 20:19: "He who reveals secrets is a constant gossip; avoid the one who babbles with his lips."
Gossip is sharing information about others that has nothing to do with us. Sharing a story of something that happened to us is not gossip, but we must be careful with whom we share; there are few people in our day who will keep a confidence, share in our trials, and believe us when we are vulnerable.
James 3:14-16
"But if you harbor bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast in it or deny the truth. Such wisdom does not come from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every evil practice."
Jealousy and envy are at the root of gossip that ultimately ruins the reputations of others and without understanding of the true events.
(Envy, wanting what others have, and jealousy is not wanting them to have it.)
1 Corinthians 3:3
"for you are still worldly. For since there is jealousy and dissension among you, are you not worldly? Are you not walking in the way of man?"
Ephesians 4:31
"Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, outcry and slander, along with every form of malice."
Proverbs 16:28
"A froward man soweth strife: and a whisperer separateth chief friends."
When we love one another, we are pleased about our friend's blessings, even sharing in those feelings of happiness for our friend."
Romans 12:15 "Rejoice with those who rejoice; weep with those who weep."
Galatians 6:1-3 "1 Brothers, if someone is caught in a trespass, you who are spiritual should restore him with a spirit of gentleness. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted. 2 Carry one another’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. 3 If anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself.…"
John 13:34-35
"A new commandment I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you also must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are My disciples, if you love one another.”
Romans 15:1-2
"We who are strong ought to bear with the shortcomings of the weak and not to please ourselves. Each of us should please his neighbor for his good, to build him up."
1 Corinthians 12:25-26
"So that there should be no division in the body, but that its members should have mutual concern for one another. If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it."
When we live into the love of Christ, our walk with Christ will be sweet, and those we love will be blessed.
And finally, God's love is far different from man's love, it is selfless, enduring and resolution-oriented.
"4 Love is patient, love is kind, it is not jealous; love does not brag, it is not arrogant. 5 It does not act disgracefully, it does not seek its own benefit; it is not provoked, does not keep an account of a wrong suffered, 6 it does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; 7 it keeps every confidence, it believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things."
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