June 25, 2026

1 John 4:16-19 teaches that God is love and that those who live in love live in God. God’s perfect love drives out fear because fear is tied to punishment. We love because God first loved us. Christian courage grows from knowing and trusting the love of God revealed in Jesus Christ.

Devotional: Fear is a powerful voice. It tells us to protect ourselves. It tells us to stay quiet. It tells us to avoid risk, avoid vulnerability, avoid hard conversations, and avoid anything that might cost us comfort. Fear can sound practical, but it often makes our world smaller. It teaches us to live guarded instead of free.

First John speaks a better word. God is love. That is not a greeting card phrase or a soft religious idea. It is the truth at the center of Christian faith. God’s love is not weak, vague, or sentimental. It is holy, self-giving, truthful, and strong enough to meet us in our sin and restore us by grace.

The passage says perfect love drives out fear. That does not mean believers never feel afraid. It means fear does not get to be lord over us. Fear loses its ruling power when we are rooted in the love of God. We do not have to live as though God is waiting to discard us. We do not have to obey from panic. We do not have to earn the love that has already come to us in Christ.

This kind of love gives courage for costly discipleship. When we know we are loved by God, we can stop begging for the approval of everyone else. When we trust God’s love, we can speak truth without trying to control the outcome. When we rest in God’s love, we can confess Christ without needing every person to understand us.

John also reminds us that our love begins with God’s love. “We love because he first loved us.” Grace moves first. God’s love awakens our love, strengthens our love, and teaches our love how to become brave. The courage to follow Jesus is not rooted in our ability to be fearless. It is rooted in the love of God that holds us when fear rises.

Action: When fear speaks today, pause and say aloud, “God loved me first.” Let that truth shape your next response.

Prayer: Loving God, thank You for loving me before I knew how to love You. Thank You for a love strong enough to drive out fear and steady my heart. Forgive me for letting fear lead my choices. Help me live from Your love instead of my anxiety. Teach me to follow Jesus with courage, speak truth with grace, and love others without needing to protect myself at every turn. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.

Thought for the Day: God’s love is stronger than the fear that tries to lead me.

Fear can make our lives small, guarded, and quiet. First John reminds us that God’s perfect love drives out fear. That does not mean we never feel afraid. It means fear does not get to rule us. We love because God first loved us. When we are rooted in that grace, we can follow Jesus with courage, speak truth with humility, and trust that God’s love is stronger than the pressure around us.