Hearing that God loves you may not feel like good news at first. Should I say “good news”? Or perhaps it’s not new, but it is indeed good news. Yet, it may not seem very big to you. For someone to tell you that God loves you, it may not mean much. And I’ll tell you why.
That statement—that God loves you—may not be the first time you are hearing it. But the reason it has not affected you or benefited you is because of two reasons: You have never given it a thought. You did not believe it when you heard it. You did not make it your own. You didn’t personalize it. The wise says “We love him, because he first loved us” (1 John 4:19).
Let me tell you why God seems far from you. If He seems far that is, if you don’t enjoy God, with all of His goodness, love, and kindness toward you—it’s because you have never made it your own. You have never personalized God’s love. The Bible says, “O taste and see that the Lord is good: Blessed is the man that trusteth in him” (Psalm 34:8).
The problem is that you believe God loves everybody, but you have never really accepted, believed, or embraced that God loves you personally. You believe He cares for everybody. So, when you hear “God loves you,” you say, “I know, He loves everyone.”
But the love of God only works in your life when you make it your own. The Bible says, “to know love, surpasses knowledge, so that we may be filled with all the fullness of God” (Ephesians 3:19 GBA) It is not enough to hear about His love; you must personally experience it for it to transform your life.
Let’s bring it to human terms. Humans relate with each other every day. If somebody told you, “I love you,” two things should happen. If you believe the person loves you, the next thing that happens is that you open your heart. This is very important. No matter how much somebody loves you, if you don't accept the love by opening your heart, nothing will happen.
Most people have never accepted the love of God. And that is why life is difficult for them—they've not opened their hearts to accept the love of God.
If you want to know who God is, go to the bible. You don't learn about God from your experience. God is not who you think He is. God is not what your circumstances tell you. The bible says, “God is love...” (1 John 4:16). He is love and goodness personified.
Open your heart today and make the love of God your own. Don't just hear it—believe it, embrace it, and personalize it. Let God's perfect, personal, and powerful love transform your life beginning from today.