Is it Difficult to Believe God Loves You?

Paul prayed, “That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God” (Ephesians 3:17-19).

Because of His nature, everything revolves around His love. Even so, Paul prayed that believers would know the love of Christ, which surpasses knowledge. This kind of love goes beyond human reason, so it’s not really surprising people wrestle with the idea of God loving them. Do you find it difficult to believe He loves you? Why is His love hard to fathom? Here are a couple reasons.

Comparisons

For the most part, people base their understanding of love on what they’ve experienced growing up. Good, bad or indifferent, they tend to view God in the same way they view their parents (or whoever raised them). They compare His love to theirs. If their parents (especially fathers) were harsh, they tend view God as harsh. Conversely, if they were warm and affectionate, they would tend see Him in the same light.

Isaiah 46:5 To whom will ye liken Me, and make Me equal, and compare Me, that we may be like (alike)?

God poses a rhetorical question, which He answers in verse nine: Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like Me.

We cannot compare humanity with God. No matter how kind an earthly father may be, he will never be as kind as our heavenly Father. Even a mother’s love incomparable to His, which some might be hard to fathom. Moreover, cruelty does not exist in Him; it is the opposite of His nature. He is a good Father Who is ever present, which is something in which to take comfort, especially for those whose father was never present. He will never abandon you!

1 John 4:7-9 Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love. In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him.

Circumstances

Many have asked, “How can a loving God allow such horrible circumstances to exist in the world.” They tend to equate the harsh realities of life, along with the viciousness of humans exerted on other humans with His character. While we will not go deep on this topic, it might be worth considering a few things.

Much of what we see in the world is the result of man’s fallen nature. While that may sound trite in response to the question, it does play large role. From the very beginning, mankind was given a choice. They could do things God’s way, or choose their own path. Many choose their own path, and have or will suffer the consequences of that decision.

Choice without choice is no choice at all. God gives everyone the opportunity to decide to follow, or reject Him. Some might say, “I wasn’t given a choice as to whether to be born.” True; however, you are given a choice to be born again. To this later point, it’s good to remember, we aren’t home yet. 2 Peter 3:10-12 tells us the earth and all its works will be burned up (read for full context). Verse 13 says, Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.

All the suffering in this world will come to an end, never to be experienced again.

Revelation 21:4 And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.

It is easy to love God when things are easy and going well. With things get tough, that’s when one finds out if he or she truly loves Him. After all, that is the bigger question. Do you love God? By the way, if you do love Him, that is also proof He loves you.

1 John 4:19 We love Him, because He first loved us.

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   It’s easy to draw the wrong conclusions about others, especially when not viewing them through the lens of love. Criticism is readily available when the flesh gets involved, and self-righteousness is allowed to have its way. It’s not difficult to scrutinize people when you have no connection with them. Mankind looks on the outward appearance, but doesn’t consider the inner workings of individuals.

   How many are mischaracterized, because of their outer appearance, or how and where they live? How many are demonized because people find them offensive? It is more comfortable to ignore or even outright reject certain sectors of humanity, because they are “an inconvenience.” The self-centered tend to embrace those who are advantageous to be around, while turning a blind eye to those who would cost them something, or simply because they find them troublesome.

   As disciples of Jesus, it’s important to ask ourselves the hard questions. Do I judge others based on the external? How readily available am I when it comes to irregular people, or even those one might consider evil, based on appearances?

Love Looks Within

   Empathy is the ability to understand and share the feelings of another, or the capacity for participation in another’s feelings or ideas. Another way to put it, it’s the ability to understand or feel what another person is experiencing from their perspective. How empathetic are you?

   Have you ever wondered how people arrived to their station in life, and why they behave or live as they do? Love takes genuine interest in others, which includes what makes them tick. By understanding the why, it may be easier to be compassionate, instead of being judgmental. After all, Love wants others removed from judgment. If one walks in a state of self-righteousness, one will have difficulty in properly proclaiming the Gospel.

   People are wired differently than others. They’ve been raised up with different sets of belief and values. Some have experienced things no one should experience, and it’s left a mark on them. Consequently, they don’t fit in so well. The human experience is different for everyone, so it might behoove us to look beyond the surface, and cut humanity some slack. This does not mean individuals have no responsibility; however, it may give us a reference point to help lift them up.

Love is Compassionate

   Mark 6:34 And Jesus, when He came out, saw much people, and was moved with compassion toward them, because they were as sheep not having a shepherd: and He began to teach them many things.

   Jesus had compassion on the multitude, because they had no shepherd to care for them. If someone does not have The Shepherd, he or she is lost in his or her sin. Those without Jesus don’t know pure love. Sure, many are upstanding citizens, but they’re still lost. Others aren’t so upstanding, and they too are lost.

   How many hate their lives? Would it be fair to say that a number of them have been rejected by society, even members of the Church? Surely, they would like to be understood. How is it we want to be understood when things go awry; yet, we lack empathy for others when they fail? Not that we should dwell on our past, but remembering where we came from might serve us well. Shepherds pull sheep out the pit when they fall into it. Our Shepherd saved us from the pit of hell and the lake of fire.

   Psalm 145:8-9 The LORD is gracious, and full of compassion; slow to anger, and of great mercy. The LORD is good to all: and His tender mercies are over all His works.

   Jude 1:21-22 Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. And of some have compassion, making a difference: And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh.

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Have you been feeling stuck, overwhelmed and defeated? You know, life is flat daunting, and the dreams and visions are lost in the back of your mind, because they look unrealistic. It’s not the road you’ve been wanting to travel, but there you are. Would you like to do a U-turn, and maybe change vehicles while you’re at it?

With God, All Things Are Possible

Here’s a crazy thought: with God, all things are possible, and because they’re possible for Him, they’re possible for you. “Look, I know God can do anything, but how do I know He wants to do those things in my life?” Are you dealing with a trust issue, or do you feel unworthy of Him working in your life? It’s easy to feel that way. In the church world, we hear it all the time: “I’m so unworthy!” Hogwash! That’s bad theology sold as humility, working overtime to look pious before others. Is Jesus worthy? Of course, and that makes you worthy (see 2 Corinthians 5:17,21). He is our Worthiness!

Trust Issue

   If it’s a trust issue, consider this: Wherein God, willing more abundantly to shew unto the heirs of promise the immutability of His counsel, confirmed it by an oath: That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation . . . (Hebrews 6:17-18). 2 Timothy 2:13 If we believe not, yet He abideth faithful: He cannot deny Himself.
   Because of God’s very nature, it is impossible for Him to lie, much less, deny Himself! Many have been proven unfaithful, but not God. Another reason you can trust Him is He loves you. He has you’re best interest at heart. It’s in the Bible!

Opposition to the Promises of God

   The circumstances of life will often seem as if they’re in opposition to the vision or promises of God. Even though the main thrust of this blog is not the testing of our faith, it does still play a part in the scheme of things. 1 Peter 1:6-7 Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations: That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ.

The Reality of God is Often Mocked

God’s reality is often mocked, and passed off as fantasy. How often have we heard, “you need to face reality?” When all people know is the physical, carnal realm of the world, the spiritual seems far-fetched. Consider this: God spoke the physical realm into existence. So which is greater, the physical realm or His Word? This comes down to another question: to whom have you been listening? Whose report will you ultimately believe?  

What Leads to the Promises of God?

Sometimes, the desires and visions appear to be self-generated because of their size. Hence, another reason these things get pushed to back of the mind: the fear of self-deception. It’s easy to latch onto that one, especially after seeing some people boast of what they’re going to do, only fall flat on their faces. We don’t want to be that person. This simplest way to avoid self-deception is humility. Submitting to the will of God leads us to the true promises of God, and keeps our focus on the right vision.
    Psalm 34:4-5 Delight thyself also in the LORD; and He shall give thee the desires of thine heart. Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in Him; and He shall bring it to pass.
   Two things to take home: one, when you delight yourself in Him, you will also align with His will. In the process, He will place His desires for you in your heart. And that simply means it was His desire first. He wants it for you more than you want it.
   Secondly, by committing your way to Him, He is free to bring it to pass. People often get stuck in the how, and lose sight of God. They believe it’s their responsibility to bring it to pass. That can be very overwhelming. To be sure, they have a role in its fulfillment, but it’s connected to obedience. Our part is trusting Him, while listening and obeying His instructions. Sometimes that simply means waiting on Him. Other times, we will have some specific things to do. Be we do those things in concert with Him.
Finally, be patient. God’s timing is perfect, and if there’s waiting involved, it serves His purpose. And His  purposes are always good!

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