You Think You Know

Let me ask you a question.  Do you believe that God loves you? 

No... hold on.  Just pause and think about that one for a minute or two.

Sure, you know God loves you. Most of us grew up singing about it.   You remember - "Jesus loves me, this I know". 

But do you Believe it?  There is a difference.

The word geek in me just had to look up the definitions of both words

Know nō/  verb 

be aware of through observation, inquiry, or information

Believe bəˈlēv/  verb 

accept (something) as true; feel sure of the truth of

You

are aware of God's love.  You have the information.  It's not enough to just know you are loved.  You must believe it.  But if you're like me, maybe sometimes (most times?  all the time?)  you struggle to accept it and feel sure of it as truth.  

Why?  Why is it so hard to truly believe something you know?  Maybe you aren't aware of your own worth, so you doubt that you deserve His love. Maybe you think you've fallen so far, made so many mistakes that He couldn't possible still love you.  Maybe you have a basic understanding, but you don't have enough information to help you believe.

Sweet friend, I am here to tell you ...  He does.  He loves you.  He loves me. We are each unique and cherished masterpieces.  Nothing can ever separate us from that love.

So, how do we strengthen our belief?  I have 3 suggestions to help strengthen your faith in God's unconditional, unfailing love for us:

1)  Remind Yourself:
Every day, get into His Word.  Read it.  Learn it.  Memorize it.  And keep reminding yourself of His promises.  Write Bible verses about His love in a little notebook, on note cards or sticky notes.  Whenever you find yourself doubting it - pull them out and read them!  Here are a few to get you started -

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life." - John 3:16

"Do not be afraid, for I have ransomed you. I have called you by name; you are mine." - Isaiah 43:1

" I cried out, “I am slipping!” but your unfailing love, O Lord, supported me. When doubts filled my mind, your comfort gave me renewed hope and cheer" - Psalm 94:18-19

"I love all who love me. Those who search will surely find me." - Proverbs 8:17

"And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love.  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: 38-39

"For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago." - Ephesians 2:10


2) Ask For It
Ask Jesus in prayer to help you in your unbelief!  Ask Him to show his love to you and to open your eyes so you will be able to recognize it. Now, it's important to realize that you're not asking God to make you rich, or famous or whatever in order to prove He loves you.  You are asking for signs of His love.  And those signs often come in quiet, simple ways.  Which brings me to...


3) Practice Gratitude:
Get yourself a journal or notebook, or just a piece of paper.  Every single day write down a few things you are grateful for right then.  When you are focused on recognizing all the blessings God has heaped into your life it quickly becomes easier to believe that He must truly love you!

"You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart."  - Jeremiah 29:13

So...  now.  I'll ask you again.  Do you believe God loves you?  If not, which of these steps can you take  today to move you closer to that belief?  For me - it's all three!!