GOD LOVES YOU

Introduction:

In all my years as a therapist, I’ve come to see a common thread running through so many people’s hearts: the deep, often unspoken question—Does God love me? Is He pleased with me? Does He even like me? For those who believe in God, this longing for divine affirmation often becomes the silent backdrop to their lives.

Looking to Others for Love:

We play this uncertainty out in our relationships, hoping others will give us the approval we crave so we can finally feel worthy—worthy of love, of belonging, of being seen. When I work with couples, no matter the surface issue, it almost always comes down to this: Do you love me? Do I matter to you? It’s the human cry for connection.

So we perform, we please, we become jealous or withdrawn, we lash out or shut down—all in an attempt to get an answer to that core question. Ultimately, what we long for is to know that we are loved, not just by people, but by God Himself.

God's Love is Powerful and Healing:

The problem is, we often get the order reversed. We look to people to validate us first, hoping that will prove God’s love is real. But if we started with the truth that God already loves us—completely, unconditionally—we’d spare ourselves a lot of striving, exhaustion, and heartache. We’d stop trying so hard to prove we are lovable, talented, important, or worthy.

When we truly believe that God loves us, something miraculous happens. A transformation begins in our hearts. We grow in confidence, self-worth, and purpose. Our identity becomes rooted in something eternal, not in the ever-changing opinions of others.

Sometimes in therapy, I’ll invite someone to speak to an empty chair—imagining God sitting there—or have another person “play” God. I ask them to say aloud what they believe God would say to them. It’s often deeply revealing. So many people, even those of great faith, struggle with the sense that they’re falling short.

In those moments, I ask them to imagine how they’d speak to their own child—or any child they love deeply. The compassion, patience, and fierce tenderness that flows from them often brings them to tears. Then I invite them to consider that this is how God sees them, too—with eyes of mercy and unconditional love.

When we begin to see God not as a distant judge, but as a loving Father and Creator who genuinely delights in us, our hearts start to open. We become more able to receive His love, not just as a concept, but as a real and active force in our lives.

It takes repetition, patience, and grace to undo years of insecurity and the old narratives that tell us we’re not enough. But Scripture invites us to come to Him like a child—humble, trusting, and open-hearted. And just like any good father would, God welcomes us with open arms.

As 1 John 4:16 says, “We have come to know and have believed the love which God has for us. God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.”