Love casts out fear
A classic physics classroom experiment has students tightly tie a balloon on one outlet of a two-outlet bottle and fill the bottle with water from the other airtight opening. The result? The balloon inflates with the air displaced by the water. The Apostle says, “perfect love casts out fear.” (I John 4:18). So, when Jesus is truly present in our relationships, fear is displaced by trust and new confidence. Fear often keeps Kingdom ministries and their personnel apart. And when that happens, we simply know that God isn’t present.
Now Jesus says — “…Behold, I make all things new.” (Rev 21:5) Jesus’ promise in Revelation is a powerful vision of hope – of the future. But an equally powerful real reason we follow Jesus is because He makes things new now! For individuals, families, communities – and for ministries.
Over the years I’ve seen God’s people working together in partnership and other forms of collaboration have some pretty radical new experiences – powered by the Spirit of Christ:
- Broken relationships give way to reconciliation.
- Fear gives way to trust.
- Duplication and waste give way to coordination and efficiency.
- Division among ministries gives way to unity and commitment to each other.
- Separate, often less effective strategies, give way to a common vision and approach.
- Isolation gives way to a sense of belonging.
- Despair gives way to hope.
Seems like a pretty formidable list to me.
Often, where the challenge is the greatest, like reaching the completely unreached, the battle is more intense. So, what gives with all the division and brokenness in the Body of Christ? Satan, who introduced mistrust and division in the first place in Eden, still prowls the world intent on instilling fear and separation. So, building or restoring trusting, open relationships unmarked by fear takes specific initiative; vision, commitment, and trust that God’s at the heart of the process. It doesn’t “just happen.” And, for our unreached peoples strategy to be blessed, He has to power everything anyway. But, He often has to fill the vacuum of fear as a first order of business.
That part of partnership-building is essential, of course. But also seems like an incredibly valuable goal.
What do you think?
Related content: Trust – A central element in partnership success, Building trust in partnering relations, Jesus said, “Behold, I make all things new”
Nobody really likes paying taxes. But we sure like and have come to count on many of the services that our taxes provide. I was reminded of this while recently on an early morning trip to the airport for a flight overseas.
But it doesn’t take long to notice those efforts that stand out from the crowd. They are the nonprofits and ministry groups that cast their gaze externally. They are so committed to realizing their goal that they pursue it through actively connecting with partner organizations where that partnership advances their cause. Their cause is more important to them than their organization.