Love and Fear

I am very proud of my readers. Since the counter has arrived I have had like 50 hits. Preferably they are not all Mike sitting and rethinking his non funny ideas for the last blog over and over again. They should be many intellectuals and nice single ladies wanting to know more about this wonder of a man they call Minton, and telling their friends. Ok now to the new post!!!


I read the daily reading by Spurgeon the other day. I love it. He takes like three words from II Kings and writes an enthralling paragraph prompting the Holy Spirit’s work in your life all over again…e.g.

And Samuel left that desolate place II Kings 17:54
And then the commentary...

"Whether we tither there or hither to…God is amazing and you should get saved again."


That is it in a nutshell.

Now this day that I refer to was good and it left me with a dichotomous thought. He referred to people being motivated by love and fear. That led me to ponder if all people, especially myself, are only moved by love or fear. I go to work because I fear being broke. I am lazy because I fear that my hard work may fail. I am nice to people because I fear them not approving of me. I judge others because I fear actually judging myself. I covet because I fear that what I do have might not be enough. I wonder if everyone’s life is as guided by fear as mine is.

Maybe that is the gospel. Perfect love does drive out fear.

Love says I am accepted, it says that my judgment has passed and I am deemed innocent before God. I don’t have to judge others to appease the fear of my own condemnation. Love says that my motives for being a genuine caring person is not to manipulate someone else to accept me, acceptance is one thing I do not lack, but my reason for relationships is to enjoy them and not make it a give and take game. Love says that I couldn’t have enough stuff in this world to match Him, so I don’t have to be afraid that what I have been given isn’t enough, He is. The list is subjective and continuous.

The gospel clears my mind of circumstances and my own self deprecation. He has driven out all fear and the more I/we can realize this, the more freedom we can experience.

How are you motivated? Love or Fear? Thoughts?