Day 8: At Arm's Length (Part 1)

Somewhere in the pages of her book, this book, the book that rocked me awake, she says words that send shivers down my spine. I've remembered these words everyday since, in my own words.

At some point in all of our lives we can be assured that we will be left by everyone we love. 

It is death's curse. It will happen.

Whether we go before or we outlive every person we love. That is a fact that I have been trying to outrun since I was a child. If you have ever lost someone you love then you know that ache. The one that grips your heart down deep. It is a feeling that makes you want to live life isolated.

Fear convinces us that isolation is safer than community and deep, meaningful relationships. When fear is steering our relationships we will hold those who care about us at arm's length. We may be afraid that they will hurt us, use us, die on us. Fear teaches us to always protect ourselves first.

In Christ, death has been swallowed up and no room for fear is left in our relationships or the rest of our life. Perfect love drives away fear. We have been perfectly loved and we can extend love to those in our lives without fear.

Overcoming fear requires us to live and love fully in the here and now.


Tomorrow we will look at how our relationships are practically affected by fear.
 

Day 9: At Arm's Length (Part 2)