“There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear…” 1 John 4:18, NKJV.
Jesus could have easily come to earth, completed His assignment and went to heaven to sit down next to the Father. He didn’t have to choose disciples to invest time with. He didn’t have to have relationships with anyone. Yet, He chose to give of Himself to others and let them come close enough to be impacted by Him. Likewise, we’re not called to simply come here, complete our purpose, go to heaven and that’s it. We were made for relationships, and it started with our Father God. He didn’t have to make us, but He did so that we can have a relationship with Him and with others.
If Jesus didn’t isolate Himself from people, neither should we. He knew He would be betrayed, denied, and abandoned by His friends, but He still chose to have them in His life. Friendship is risky, but worth it. Our love must be greater than our fears. So many of us live with fear of being hurt or fear of hurting, so we avoid close and intimate relationships with anyone. But what if Jesus feared being hurt, disappointed or used? What if He feared hurting His disciples? If He operated in fear, we would not have such a great example to model.
Some of us have given up on experiencing unconditional love in a human being. We know Jesus loves us and will never leave us, but many can’t say that about people. Even if you’ve never experienced unconditional love from a human being, don’t let that stop you from being what you desire to see. Make a choice to receive God’s perspective on relationships. Choose to have an impact on those God has placed in your life. To isolate ourselves from sinners and forsake fellowship with our brothers and sisters in Christ is sin.
Prayer: Father God, I repent for drawing away from people. I’m afraid of being of hurt. I’m afraid of hurting others. I ask that You help me overcome this fear with Your love. Help me God to see relationships the way You see them. You’ve given Your love to me so freely, and it’s wrong for me not to give it away. Thank You for giving me an example to follow. Help me not be so purpose-driven that I forget my real purpose to love and have a relationship with people. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
(Read 1 John 4:18-20; Hebrews 10:25)
Amen! Thank you for this timely devotional!
I agree thank you for that word. Amen 🙏🏻🙏🏻
FOR I think my father in heavennow I’m so excited about today word
Father I thank you for your word and I pray that I would not be afraid to have relationship with others. For years I have drawn away from others because every friend I thought I had, turned out to be fake friends. Father I also pray that you would get the glory from every relationship that develops in my life in Jesus name. Amen.
Thank you father that you want a relationship with me that you gave your life for me that you speak to me tru your words I praise you you have turned around my world you are worth more then gold I love you Jesus
Thank you Father for loving me when noone else would !!! Thank you my Father I need You Jesus !!!!
I am blessed by this but this sentence “To isolate ourselves from sinners and forsake fellowship with our brothers and sisters in Christ is sin.” is not true they are many places in the Bible who says we can’t be hanging with such people. God talks about the influence they could have, the fact they can delay your blessings and that’s even regarding our family. I don’t remember all those verses by heart yet but even Jesus said if you can’t leave your mom and father you are not ready to follow me. We can’t serve God and allow people that are against His fellowship to be are buddies. We talk to them, help them but we can’t love them till death cause God didint send us to save them at the peril of our own lives. So isolation is good sometimes and forsaking a bad fellowship with the christians that don’t want to follow what God commands is not a sin.
I repent FATHER👑 🙏🙏🙏💯💓I KNOW U GON FIX what needs to be fix❗👏👐💥🎁💝🎉🎉🎉🎉 Yes❗😄😊I LOVE people and I totally Love the message DOTK🌷🌸💐🌹🌺 on time and was heavy in my Heart 💔today❗ LORD JESUS Thank you for sending a Floodtide🌊🌊🌊 of YOUR LOVE❗💪💓💪💋🌞The journey continues…💭🙏🙏🙏 🙋🚶🚶🚶🙏🙏😄😉 SHINE❗ SHINE❗ 🌞💐🌻🌺🌷I LOVE Y’ALL❗👑👑👑🙋🙆💅👠👠👜👗💄💼👡👡👒😄😘 AGAPELOVE💌
With tears streaming I thank you for this timely devotion~ this is my life. I’ve been in isolation (friendless for sometime). I pray, that God will help me break out…escape… from the fear of being hurt. I want to be obedient. If isolation a sin ^ (Mira 🤔) i didn’t realize it ~even Christians hate me..confusion has set in…. However, i truly desire friendships. I ask with a humble heart for prayer. ❤
I am afraid of being hurt. I’ve isolated myself from people. Not allowed myself to love or be loved. Lord help me to break free from this.
we dont need to isolate ourselves from sinners neither do we need to dine and wine with them, Jesus visited Zachues, He saved the woman that was caught in the very act, spoke with a woman who had married 5husbands and was presently living with another who had not paid her brideprice, He call matthew who was a tax collector, saul the persecutor became a propagator of the gospel. The list is endless. Jesus said we should love our enemies and pray for them who despitefull used us…. when you show love to a sinner,you can easily win them over to christ, if you have been hurt by a christian friend forgive and live on but this time with wisdom. Having relationship does notmean holding hands or sitting down to talk. Let it be that you see the person and can talk and laugh and walk away without bein hypocritical…. i was there but God help me, the HolySpirit was always pointing me to the fact that Jesus DIED for me while i was yet sinner… Thank you Jesus….
Thank you for the timely message. Few days back I was hurt sharing a spirtual truth and revelalation to my family group .and was hurt by family member but soon God healed me through the word through one much in love with Jesus .Thank you for the sharing and I am much more encouraged reading this message as confirmation . I wish I could copy paste and help many .God bless
Thank you for this word today. Yesterday we met up with some of my husband’s friends who are not Christians, two of them I didn’t know very well, but as we were leaving, I hugged all of them and later thought maybe I shouldn’t have embraced the men I didn’t know that well. God is love! I will not feel embarrassed about sharing the love of God!