Three Angels Broadcasting Network Devotion.
Perfect Love

By Julia Sinitsyna

May 26th, 2026

“There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear.”

1 John 4:18

I’ll never forget the day I lost my peace. I was 18 years old and on my summer break before the start of the next school year at the university. It was the beginning of the 1990s, and we were experiencing a strong spiritual hunger in Russia. My cousin Lena had always had a craving for spiritual things, and she’d invited me to come with her to an evangelistic series that had started up in my city. It was uncomfortable to refuse, so I started going to the evening meetings.

I’d never been religious or a believer and was completely uninterested in topics of biblical spirituality. In fact, I considered my life to be quite happy and didn’t want to change anything.

But I was curious, and they showed beautiful slides, so I can’t say I didn’t like going.

But then I heard something that turned my world upside down. “God’s judgment is coming soon,” the preacher exclaimed, “and each of us will have to answer for all our actions since all of our deeds are written in God’s Book of Remembrance. We need to repent and be in complete unity with God!”

Up to that moment, the meetings had been quite bearable and even interesting, but right then, everything changed. My soul became anxious, and I realized that I just couldn’t continue living as I had been. I came home and thought about what I’d heard. I cooked, cleaned, and talked with my family, but all the time, I was thinking about God’s judgment.

Despondency and fear gripped my soul. Why? Because I believed in God, could join the common prayer, and even sing a psalm; but I did not love God “with all my heart.” I felt insincere and despaired of ever being able to evoke that kind of love for God. I knew what it meant to love a young man, my friend, and my grandmother. But how could I love God? And if I didn’t love Him, how could I stand before Him in the final judgment? I imagined Him asking me, “How did you live, my dear? Were all your actions worthy?”

These people have turned everything around in my head! I thought. So what do I do now?

I remained in that bleak state of mind for several weeks, but salvation came unexpectedly. As with many things in life, it also came gradually. I started attending youth Bible Study classes and soon got to know my peers very well. This group of young believers inspired me, and we talked, studied the Bible, sang together, and laughed a lot. I was amazed at how they were able to have fun and support each other.

I had never associated church with youth. Instead, I’d always associated it with the elderly and their stern views. But here I found myself in such a warm, joyous atmosphere. Nobody was pretending to be perfect or trying to condemn anyone. Instead, they lived in a very kind and friendly family atmosphere. We served together, had fun, walked, and visited each other. I saw how the love of God helped them solve small conflicts and overcome great difficulties. Perfect love casts out fear, and I stopped being upset and sad. Peace returned to my heart.

Sometimes I just need to entrust everything to God and live. And after many years, I’ve learned to say, God, I’m not perfect, but I’m ready to change. Please change me and give me the willingness to do Your will!

The first steps in faith are always very uncertain, and sometimes our spiritual path is quite bumpy. But I always keep these words in my heart, “Perfect love casts out fear.” And God is perfect love!