Love Casts Out Fear
Shrek & Donkey teach today’s Bible lesson
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There is no fear in love, but perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears punishment has not been perfected in love.
1 John 4:18 (NET)
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This is one of those “onion” verses.
Let me explain.
So, in the movie Shrek, there’s a classic scene where Shrek the Ogre tries to explain to his plucky companion Donkey how ogres are actually more complex creatures than simply monsters.
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SHREK: Ogres are … like onions.
DONKEY: They stink?
SHREK: Yes—NO!
DONKEY: Oh, they make you cry?
… SHREK: Layers! Ogres have layers. Onions have layers. We both have layers.
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So, like Shrek the Ogre, I find that this Bible verse has layers to it. I find myself asking a lot of questions that I simply cannot answer, but I love to ponder:
What does it mean that there is “no fear in love?” What does that look like?
What’s perfect love? What does that look like? How can I tap into perfect love?
What punishment?
Wait a minute, I have fear sometimes, have I not been perfected in love?
What does it look like to be perfected in love?
See? Lots of layers.
Maybe it’s just me being someone who likes to sit and “chew” on thoughts for a while, but I find that there are mysteries hidden in Scripture and I enjoy digging into them.
Of course, the great mystery of God will never be solved — and that’s pretty cool.
Forever we will continue to learn & grow & love God, exploring the never ending mysteries of His goodness.
For now, I get to ponder today’s onion.
— Ricky Ketchum
Copyright © 2025 by Ricky Ketchum. All rights reserved. Unauthorized duplication prohibited.
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