The Kind of Love that Casts Out Stress

Published by Mark DeJesus Father's Love, Love, Stress

Everyone deals with various forms of stressors in their life. Underneath those areas we call stress, are often fear factors that need to be addressed. In fact, stress is simply a modern word used to describe a lot of the fears that drive our lifestyle, constant busyness and pressure-filled living. Remove the fear factor and stress becomes way less of an issue.

Underneath our stress issues lie fears of rejection, fears of not belonging, the fear of failure, fear that driver a need to prove yourself and so much more. Our stresses reveal where fear teaches us to maintain control at all costs.

We are most stressed when we let fear control the narrative.

It’s important that if you want to live a more stress-free life, you need to face the fear factor.

The Prescription for Stress and Fear

But how do you do this? Although there are a number of ways we need to address our fears and overcome, the greatest prescription is found in the Scriptures:

There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love. 1 John 4:18 (NKJV)

Underneath your stress are layers of fears. And every fear that seeks to invade your thinking is a place where the Father’s perfect love needs to invade.

But this is easier said than done. When love has been empty in a certain area of your life, it takes some intentionality and time to experience love. But if you can identify the fear, you can easily discern where love needs to have a work.

The Kind of Love that Casts Out Fear

If you want to experience love, the Father is love. He showed His love through His Son. In fact, you can see it demonstrated in the life of Christ.

Many believers are uncomfortable with relating to the Father. They cry out to Jesus while avoiding the Father. Even though the Bible gives you complete access to engage the Father and all His love.

There is so much intimacy with God that we miss out on, because fear has captivated our thinking, conditioning us in a rapid pace of life, non stop thinking and unrelenting pressure. The love of Father God brings a rest like nothing else. It has the power to displace your stress. There is no stress when you experience the love of the Father in your heart.

The Love of Abba

In fact, the invitation of Scripture is for you to experience God’s love through who He is as a perfect Dad.

The Scriptures use the word Abba three times in the New Testament, a word that communicates an intimate expression to a Father. It moves past the formal recognition of “Father” and expresses the intimate connection of “Dad.”

It’s an amazing honor to be able to connect to God as a Dad, but not many engage the love and power found in this gift.

Therefore you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ. Galatians 4:7 (NKJV)

For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.” Romans 8:15 (NKJV)

And He said, “Abba, Father, all things are possible for You. Take this cup away from Me; nevertheless, not what I will, but what You will.” Mark 14:36 (NKJV)

Experiencing God as a Dad

God wants you to know what it means to experience Him as a Dad. It’s your destiny in Christ to relate to the Father as Jesus did, with great confidence and reliance.

Many believers are living a maxed-out and stressed-out life because they have not received the love of Abba in their lives. They are wasting their energy attempting to earn God’s love or hope that someday their spiritual performance will bring about His pleasure or approval.

Many know about Abba’s love in their heads, but their hearts feel distant and even empty of that love. They are not fully convinced it is for them. So no wonder stress has such a dominant work in our lives.

Our stress levels reveal what our Father relationship with God is like. Many are still serving a Father who is a taskmaster or one who drives Christians with constant busy living. If Father God’s true nature is not experienced, we easily fall back to seeing God through the lens of our earthly father, which for many, leaves them empty.

Jesus Draws Strength from Abba

In Mark’s Gospel, you get to witness an incredibly intimate moment, where Jesus is full of sorrow and pressure. Talk about stress, the weight of the world is upon Him, to the point that He wonders if there is another way.

His disciples are falling asleep and the loneliness of the moment sets in. The reality of the suffering is before Him and the intensity is massive.

As He calls out upon God for strength, there is no formality or drawn out prayer. It’s pretty straight forward, but it’s addressed in the most intimate expression. He calls out upon Abba. It’s time to call on Dad’s strength.

He’s basically saying, “Dad, if there is another way, please show it. But I choose to do what You sent me to do. In that, I know You will strengthen Me.”

When you are backed against the wall, it’s the love of your Dad that changes everything.

So here’s the point that you need to know to break off stress in your life. If Jesus, the Son of God, who lived a sinless life on this planet, needed to call out upon His Dad in time of need, so do you!

That intimate connection is what will break the power of stress off of your life. When you connect to Dad’s love, you know He’s got your back. You’ll know there’s nothing to fear.

The pressure’s off. Dad’s got me and I’m gonna be ok.

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