From God of Fear to God of Love

For so many years I saw God in a fear-based, religious way..to me He was a "Fear God."  I didn't even realize that this was the type of God that I was taught to believe in, for I always heard "God is Love," and yet so many ideas in religion seemed to say the opposite!  So while I was saying and trying to believe God was Love, deep down there was an uneasiness because I was being presented a Fear God by religion.

So I used to believe in a Fear God!
Not the real God, who is a Love God!

A Fear God uses threat, manipulation, scare tactics and force..
A Love God is gentle, nonthreatening, approachable, never hurts a soul..

A Fear God is strict, unbending, unyielding, harsh, stern, uncaring and cold..
A Love God is warm, compassionate, understanding, kind-hearted, and soft..

A Fear God must have his way or else He flies off the handle and rants and rages..
A Love God wants the other's way and thinks of others first..and can't be angered!

A Fear God threatens harm, punishes, makes you pay, points out your faults..
A Love God never sees anything wrong with you, is never offended, sees only good in you!

A Fear God gives ultimatums, stands off at a distance in disapproval, withdraws help if you do not have enough faith/obedience/commitment..
A Love God gives unconditional promises, is undaunted in loyalty and stands by us no matter what the cost, never disapproves of us, constantly blesses, doesn't need a 'reason' to love us, loves no matter what!

A Fear God is unpredictable, capricious, mean, irritable, always about to blow his temper, always in a bad mood..
A Love God is constant in His kindness, friendly, steady and stable and sure, easy-going, always in a good mood!

A Fear God closes himself off from us, stands aloof, always promotes the idea that he is 'other,' unapproachable, hard to get to, ready to drop, desert or abandon us..
A Love God is always open towards us, open-hearted and open-armed, always embracing and including, always present, easy to be around, easy to find, for He is always right here with and in us, never to leave!

A Fear God always wears a scowl and appears to have a dark cloud over his face at all times, like a storm brewing..
A Love God always wears a smile and has a sunny disposition, like a cloudless summer day where nothing ever goes wrong, where all is well in every way!

A Fear God cannot be counted on and may leave if you mess up..
A Love God is the most secure place in the universe and will never let you down!

A Fear God uses force, demands, and rules..
A Love God has only kindness, acceptance and grace, and sets us free to do anything at all, loving us no matter what, giving us absolutely no rules and no boundaries, demanding nothing from us and expecting nothing of us, freeing us to be ourselves and do anything - even fail - thus proving His love is unconditionally ours!

A Fear God is a fake, false god!
The Love God is the only true God who will always hold you in His arms and smile upon you with delight!

It is so wonderful to know that Fear God that I was so afraid of was never ever real!  It is so wonderful to know that God has been a Love God, a Daddy God, all along!  Thank You, Papa, that You are Perfect Love, and there is NO fear in Love!  Your Love for us drives out the fears we have had, and in its place we find security, joy, peace, comfort, acceptance, REST!

- Under the Waterfall