Fear is a terrible thing….especially when it is not a reverant fear for the Lord. That kind of fear leads us to be pleasing to the Lord and to a righteous life. Every other fear is a stealer of joy…a stealer of everything.
To every hesitation in obeying the Lord, there is a FEAR associated. The Lord will reveal fears, pinpoint them, and replace them with the TRUTH in Scripture. It is a pretty neat thing when that fear dissipates and is replaced with the freeing truth. It is BEAUTIFUL! And the Lord does pinpoints the fear (from the Enemy), shows Scripture (Jesus is the WORD) to counteract the fear, and then teaches how to apply the new truths that are learned from Him. He is the most wonderful counselor!!!
There is a fear in giving respect/love, that the person might not want to change… It appears to make sense, right? It is so wrong though and really is more like withholding something so essential to someone…in order to force change (a control technique). Change cannot be forced. Kindness and love leads to repentance. God knows hearts so intricately…He knows all the fears whether we do or not. Giving unconditional respect/love gives husbands and wives “empowerment” and is an “oil of blessing” to them–like a catalyst for change. It makes them feel trusted, secure, and loved, and makes them WANT to be worthy of respect/love. And we truly are because God made us that way in the Garden! I am totally inspired that I can BE that for my sweet husband. I have the opportunity/gift to empower HIM and give him that blessing to go forth and conquer as his wife. 🙂 And nothing is more attractive than that in a man 😉
Walking in Faith 