A number of years ago, I was visiting a family of mountain climbers in what was then East Germany. They wanted me to see a very beautiful part of their country. The only problem was that we had to climb a very high mountain, and I had a fear of heights. However, they assured me that it was very safe and that we could climb the mountain on a secure trail. Therefore, two American friends and I agreed to go with them.

Everything was just as they had told me, until we got about 50 meters from the top of the mountain. We, then, had to start pulling ourselves over rocks and begin genuine mountain climbing. Something snapped inside of me. All of a sudden, I grabbed a rock and held on for my life. No one saw me because I was the last one. When everyone reached the top, I could hear everyone saying, "Oh, look how beautiful!" Then I heard someone say, "Where's Sammy?"

They looked down and saw me frantically holding on to the rock. I couldn't move. I was paralyzed. They said, "Come on up, Sammy. It's fantastic up here." All I could say was, "I can't move!" After much debate, my friends had to finally pull my fingers off the rock and carry me down the mountain. It was one of the most embarrassing moments of my life.

But I learned a great lesson that day. I learned the power of the human emotion of fear. Fear had literally crippled me. Since that day, I've watch fear paralyze many people. I've seen people rendered immobile because of the fear of failure, the fear of the future, and the fear of death. Perhaps the greatest and most common crippling fear that I've seen is that of the fear of rejection. I've seen people do harm to their own bodies because of this fear. I've watched people compromise their morals, trample their beliefs, and become spiritually defeated because of this fear.

There's one great solution to fear - love (perfect love). The Bible says, "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 (I Jn 4:18 NIV). There is only one place in all of human history where "perfect love" can be found - the cross. Outside Jerusalem, on a hill, between two thieves, suspended between heaven and earth hung the perfect Son of God. He cried out those words that would ring throughout history as the perfect love of God, "Father, forgive them...." (Luke 23:24).

Only Jesus had the ability to forgive those who hated him, those who were the very enemies of God. He loved all of mankind with the perfect love of God. He loved you and me with perfect love. It's that love that casts out the fear of rejection. It's that love that allows us to know, feel, and experience God's acceptance. Jesus said, "All that the Father gives Me shall come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out (John 6:37 NAS). When we come to Jesus, we encounter the perfect love of God and fear has to flee.

If you find yourself a captive to the fear of rejection, then come to the cross. You'll find there the perfect love of God that will release you to be all that God intended you to be. Courage flows from the cross. The cross permeates the innermost parts of your life and enables you to see God in His infinite love. Look to the cross! Live near the cross! Take up your cross! Follow Jesus!