1 John 4:18 – “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.”
Imagine a world untouched by pain, fear, or brokenness—a world where every breath was full of peace and every relationship free from hurt. That was the Garden of Eden, God’s perfect creation. In that place, everything was good, whole, and as it was meant to be.
But that perfect harmony didn’t last. When deception entered the picture and humanity turned away from God, the world shifted. Brokenness crept in. Fear, distrust, and hurt became part of the human experience. And here we are today living in a world that often feels far from the goodness God originally intended.
In a world like this, love can feel like a risk. People make mistakes. Hearts get wounded. We’re tempted to protect ourselves by withholding love—not only from others but sometimes even from God.
But here’s the good news: even though the world changed, God did not.
He is still perfect. His love for us has never wavered. It’s not fragile or conditional. It doesn’t shrink back when we fail or fade when we doubt. We know this because He stepped into our brokenness, took our place on the cross, and opened the door for us to be made whole again. And when Jesus returned to heaven, He didn’t leave us alone—He sent His Spirit to guide, comfort, and remind us daily that we are deeply loved.
God’s love is not a reward for good behaviour—it’s a constant, unchanging reality. We can’t earn it, and we can’t lose it. This isn’t a license to live carelessly; it’s an invitation to live freely, secure in the knowledge that no matter where we are in life, His love will meet us there.
1 John 4 tells us that “whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them.” If we claim to love God, that love should naturally overflow into the way we treat others. Love becomes our identifying mark—our greatest evidence of belonging to Him.
That doesn’t mean it’s easy. Sometimes love requires patience when we’d rather walk away. Sometimes it means forgiving when we’d prefer to hold on to the hurt. But God never asks us to love in our own strength. As we grow closer to Him—through prayer, worship, and letting His Word shape us—His love is perfected in us. Fear loses its grip, and confidence takes its place, because we know we belong to Him.
To live a life marked by love is to let God’s heart shape our own—to see people the way He sees them, to serve without expecting anything in return, and to forgive even when it costs us something. It’s a life that points others to the One who loves perfectly.
Today, ask God to help you live that way. Let His love be the signature of your life—the thing people notice most about you. Because when our lives are truly marked by love, we don’t just talk about God’s love—we reveal it to the world. Amen.
