There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love (I John 4:18).
Some people are by nature more anxious than others. The influence of genetic anxiety on our lives is major. I begin with this because it is important for a person to understand that managing his anxiety will always be important to his physical health, social, emotional and spiritual health. Anxiety does not make one a bad person. One of the reasons the Savior left Heaven to die for us was to help us deal with our anxiety.
In 1738, Charles Wesley was suffering from illness and dealing with doubts about his faith. He began to read the Bible and meditate on his reading. A sense of peace came over him. As a result of his experience he wrote the hymn, O For a Thousand Tongues. In the hymn is this verse that has helped me many times: "Jesus, the name that calms our fears, that bids our sorrows cease; 'Tis music in the sinner's ears; 'Tis life and health and peace."
1 John 4:8 tells us: "God is love." That short description of God is so full of meaning, but I will only touch on one facet of it. God loves you! For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but have ever-lasting life. For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved (John 3:16-17). God's desire is not to punish, but to save!
Salvation is more than waiting it out to go to Heaven. Salvation begins now, trusting God to help with your fears: . . . casting all your anxieties on Him because He cares for you (1 Peter 5:7).
Our Father's Love,
Tom
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