God is love…There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear; because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love. 1 John 4:16,18 Fil Anderson knows what it’s like to live in fear. For years he felt driven to earn God’s approval. That drive took him all the way to the door of a psychiatric unit, where he got his first glimpse of grace. Yet as soon as he left, the old patterns began again. Serving as a pastor only further drained him as he told others about the love of God and yet often felt as if he could never experience it himself. He reflects on this in his book Running on Empty: Contemplative Spirituality for Overachievers. My default nature is set to believe that God’s acceptance, love, … [Read more...]