Have you ever asked yourself the question, “How do I know God loves me?”
I mean, “Jesus loves you” is probably one of those things that you’ve heard over and over again, but rarely do we accept it or truly believe it.
You might be thinking, “Eh, I kinda believe it”. Or maybe even, “I’d like to believe it but I’m just not sure”.
But, how do I know God loves me personally?
I get it. It’s hard for us to accept a God who loves us unconditionally.
It’s hard because we’ve never truly experienced the unconditional love of God in another human being. The love that we experience between each other is tainted. Only a mere shadow of God’s love for us.
As humans we struggle to love and give love unconditionally. The reason is because in our sinful nature, we always fall short in loving each other the way God loves us.
Since we have never truly experienced unconditional love, we struggle to believe in a God who could possibly love us unconditionally.
But you are loved by God!
Not because of anything you have done to earn or deserve His love, but simply because love is who God is.
So, how do I know God loves me personally? I’ll give you three reasons.
1. God is Love
God is love. The reason God loves me personally is because God Himself is love.
I’m going to repeat it one more time just because I think it’s easy to overlook, God doesn’t just love us, God Himself is love.
The below verse explains this beautifully:
“Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.”
1 John 4:7-8 (ESV)
The more you get to know God, the more you realize His incomprehensible love for you. God loves you simply because love is who God is.
Because love is who God is, loved is who I am.
It’s because of who God is (i.e. love) that makes me who I am (i.e. loved).
Make sense?
One of the most important birthrights given to you is you were born loved.
You are, and always have been, deeply loved by God.
It would be impossible for someone who is Himself the source of love to not love His own creation. Especially the ones who are made in His image and His own likeness, ie you and me!
Read More: What Does It Mean to Be Made in the Image of God?
There are certain qualities about you that are irrevocable simply because of who you are, a human being made in the image of God. You didn’t have to do anything to deserve these privileges, you were simply born with them.
Psychology Today says all human beings have an intense desire to be loved and nurtured, and that the need to be loved is considered one of our most basic and fundamental needs.
Why do you think love is our basic and fundament need? It’s because we are made in the image of God who Himself is love.
Think about it, when you feel deeply and securely loved, it flows out of you and affects every aspect of your life. It makes you more confident, positive, self-assured, and ultimately capable of giving and receiving love in a healthy manner.
But the opposite is also true. Believing the lie that you are not loved, is deadly.
It makes you insecure, unsure of who you are, closed off, ashamed, and uncapable of giving and receiving love in a healthy manner.
We are wired to be loved because we are made in the image of God who is love.
Which leads me to point number 2.
2. You are Made in the Image of God
How do I know God loves me personally? Because I am made in the image of God.
Have you ever looked in the mirror and told yourself that you are average, inadequate, or not enough? If so, then you’re not seeing yourself the way God sees you.
You are not seeing yourself as a result of God’s divine creation.
When God made you, He made you in His image.
“Then God said, ‘Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness.”
Genesis 1:26 (NIV)
Not only are you made in God image, but you are made fearfully and wonderfully.
“I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,
I know that full well.”Psalm 139:14 (NIV)
The word “wonderfully” is the Hebrew word “pala”, which means to be separate, distinguished, or unique. So, it basically means God made you special!
Read More: What Does It Mean to Be Fearfully & Wonderfully Made?
You are the only you that God has ever created. There’s seven billion people on the planet, but there is no one else with your fingerprint, or with your retina scan.
You are unique.
You are an original design.
Diamonds are expensive because they are rare. But you’re not rare, you’re the only one that exists. Or will ever exist!!
Ephesians even goes so far as to say:
“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 (NLT)
The Bible says God thinks about you (Psalm 139:17-18), that you are valuable to Him (Matthew 6:26), and that He has such an interest in little ole’ you that even the hairs on your head are numbered (Matthew 10:30).
So, I ask you, does this sound like a God that doesn’t care about you? A God that doesn’t love you?
Heavens no! God loves you beyond imagine!
You aren’t random, you aren’t an accident. You are the product of a Creator who loving made you in His image after His likeness as His masterpiece.
God loves you because you are His unique and special design.
3. Christ Died for You
The third reason I know God loves me personally is because Christ died for me.
Now before you say, “Yeah, yeah, I already knew that”, let me explain.
Before we were even born and did anything good or bad, God loved us. And now, despite every sin you have made, God still loves you. Even in our sinful nature, God loves us, because God is love.
Romans 5:8 says:
“But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
Romans 5:8 (NIV)
When we feel unworthy of God’s love, we must remember that the love of God has nothing to do with whether we deserve it or not.
God doesn’t love you because of the “good things” you have done. God loves you because of who you are.
You are His unique and special creation who is made in His image.
It’s as simple as that.
But if this seems too simple, just know that this is the same way God loves Jesus.
In fact, we see the same dynamic in God’s love towards Jesus in Chapter 3 of the Book of Matthew. At this point in Jesus’ life, He hadn’t performed a single miracle, yet God loves Him.
“After His baptism, as Jesus came out of the water, the heavens were opened and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and settling on Him. And a voice from heaven said, ‘This is my dearly loved Son, who brings me great joy.’”
Matthew 3:16-17 (NLT)
Jesus hadn’t done a single thing to earn praise from God yet, God calls Jesus is His dearly loved Son, who brings Him great joy.
Even though Jesus hadn’t done anything to deserve God’s love, God loved Him.
In the same way, you didn’t do anything to deserve God’s love. God simply loves you.
That is why Jesus died for you. While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
“But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
Romans 5:8 (NIV)
Jesus laid down His life for us because He loved us. We didn’t deserve it, yet Christ died for us.
Jesus laid down His life for us because He loved us.
In fact, Jesus even said:
“There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.”
John 15:13 (NLT)
We didn’t deserve it, but because of Jesus’ great love for us, He died for us.
Lastly, I want to end on this. One of the most famous verses in the Bible is John 3:16:
“For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.”
John 3:16 (NIV)
How do I know God loves me personally? Because love is who God is, because I am God’s unique creation made in His image, and because God loved me so much, He sent His son to die for my salvation.
Did this post help you understand why God loves you personally? I’d love to know in the comments below!
Read More
What Does It Mean to Be Fearfully & Wonderfully Made?
What Does It Mean to Be Made in the Image of God?
Hello Tiffany,
I have been struggling to know God loves me personally.
I’ve been following Jesus, what seems on and off, moment by moment, struggling for about 3 years.
I grew up in a abusive and lonely household as a child, but as an adult, wife and mother I still struggle with accepting love without “stipulations”.
It’s been a very humbling journey.
Today as I read what the Holy Spirit inspired you to write and share, I wept the whole way reading through.
Daily I lay down at His feet crying out for His help, yet I have a hard time accepting Him fully.
I’ve thought something is wrong with me most of my life and I’m trying to just be and trust that His work is not done and that He is faithful to complete it one day.
So I wanted to respond to your request at the end of this beautiful post. I’m trying to trust God today that He loves me. ❤️
Hi Stephanie! Thank you so much for your beautiful message. My heart breaks for you because I know exactly how you feel. I am praying for you and that this blog post and others like it reveal to you the Lord’s great love for you, without stipulations. Sending prayers up! <3
I need to read this more slowly & carefully. It is one thing to be aware these points & another thing to remove your own judgment you’ve passed on yourself–so thst you can actually fully absorb God’s love & forgiveness. I’ve been a Christian since 18, & now I’m 53. This may yet be my biggest challenge in my walk with God. And I do see a stubborn pride and/or self-will as roots of the problem, coupled with shame for being me I developed as a child, coupled with God’s own holiness & omnipotence towering over me (that being how it often feels). “Wretch that I am, who will save me… Thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord!” (Rom. 7:24-25)
Hello fellow sister in christ! I’m just here to say that I appreciate that you make these articles to help people and to inform people about god, how much he loves us and how we can grow into a deep personal relationship with him.. oh yeah sorry for my comments 😅
You are SO welcome!! I am so happy to be a light for others! All my best! <3