One of my favorite books in the Bible is 1 John because in it, we hear about God’s great love for us. God reveals His love for us in many ways, especially through His forgiveness, grace, and mercy (Isaiah 55:7 NLT). God loves the world, that is true (John 3:16). But He also loves you, individually. He has His eye on the sparrow; one cannot fall from the sky without Him noticing, so He certainly has His eye on you (Matthew 10:29 NLT).
Why It’s Important to Know That God Loves Us
God shows us how we should love ourselves and others. If we do not know that God loves us:
- We will not be able to love Him back. “We love Him because He first loved us.” In other words, He gives us the ability to love (1 John 4:19).
- If we do not believe that He loves us and wants the best for us, we will not be able to trust Him (1 John 4:16).
- We will not obey Him, at least not for the commands that are hard (John 14:21).
The foundation of your self-care should be knowing and believing that God loves you and wants what’s best for you (Ephesians 3:17-19). You will be susceptible to believing the lies of the enemy when you do not know God’s love for you as a unique individual, Who knew you before you were even born.
The most important way to learn of God’s great love for you is by spending time with Him. God loves us and our company.
How God Loves Us
No one loves you more than God. God is love and love comes from God (1 John 4:7). He sent His Son, Jesus, to die for our sins. God has a plan and a purpose for our lives that includes restoring everything the enemy has stolen from us and giving us a full and abundant life (John 10:10).
God Loves Us Intimately
God knows the number of hairs on your head (Matthew 10:30-31). His thoughts for you outnumber the grains of sand (Psalm 139:17-18). He calls us the apple of His eye (Deuteronomy 32:10). He knit you in your mother’s womb (Psalm 139:13). There is no doubt that He loves us.
God Loves Us Unconditionally
Nothing can separate us from God’s love; it is unconditional (Romans 8:38-39). Since it is not based on your performance, you cannot earn God’s love; you can only receive it (Romans 3:23; Romans 8:38-39; Ephesians 2:8-9). He calls us out of darkness and into light and adopts us as His own (Ephesians 1:5; 1 John 3:1-2).
God Loves Us Reliably
God will never forsake us (Isaiah 49:16). He hears and answers our prayers. He is able to do what we ask or think because He knows the desires of our hearts, even the secret ones. His power and goodness are unlimited; He is gracious and will give us more than we can ask or think (Ephesians 3:20-21). God is with us, even in the storm when it doesn’t seem like it. He is there making all things work together to our good because we love Him.
God’s Love is Fatherly
In 1 John 3:1, we learn that God calls us His children. Therefore, just like a father, God gives us boundaries. In order to have a good relationship with Him, we need to be repentant, both in our hearts and in our lifestyle (Psalm 94:12-14). When we go astray, God corrects and disciplines us out of love (Revelation 3:19). He forgives us and redirects us back on course.
Also just like a father, God is protective; He contends with those who contend with us (Psalm 135:1). I have seen it firsthand, and when that happens, I have no doubt that He is my Father! Like the good Father He is, God knows what we need before we ask Him (Matthew 6:8), including help with oppressors and other enemies. God even prays for us when we don’t know what we should pray (Romans 8:26). God’s love perfects all that which concerns us; we can take all of our problems to Him and He will work it out for us, no need to worry (Psalm 138:8).
How to Love God
We must confidently believe and receive God’s love so that we will walk in the light with Him. Even though God already knows all of our faults, He expects us to acknowledge our shortcomings to Him, to ourselves, and to others. Then and only then will we have true fellowship with Him and each other, and be completely forgiven and cleansed (1 John 1:10). This may seem scary, at first, but God does not give us the spirit of fear (2 Timothy 1:7). The presence of fear, outside of the reverential kind that we should have for God, is a sign that we do not fully trust God’s love for us. Since our salvation is not based on our actions but is based on our faith in Jesus as our Savior, there is no reason to fear. We can feel secure in God’s love since God is love and is faithful to show it (1 John 4:1-21).
We are to love God in return, with all of our heart, soul, and mind (Matthew 22:37). When we obey God, we are demonstrating our love for Him and His ways (John 14:21). It is something we should be happy to do because Jesus is worthy of our obedience (1 John 1:1-21). We should love one another in action and in truth. Walking in truth and love lets your light shine in dark places (1 John 2:1-29).
The Benefits of Being a Child of God
We are lavished by God’s love. When we sin, we can seek forgiveness thanks to Jesus’ finished work on the cross. We have the victory over the devil in Christ Jesus. We belong to the Truth and can, therefore, bring everything to God without fear (1 John 3:1-24). The greatest gift that God gives us is unconditional love (1 Corinthians 13:13).
See Related: Becoming a Daughter of God
How do you show God that you love Him? Please comment below.
Until next time,
“No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
– Romans 8:39 NLT
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Clear and encouraging points especially in hard times, Robyn.
Thank you, Marilyn! I’m glad to hear that.😊🙏🏽💕
Robyn, this is so beautifully written, sweet sister! God’s love truly healed me and set me free. Thank you for this encouraging post! ❤
Thank you so much, Donna! God’s love did the same for me, too. You are very welcome! 🥰🤗💖