“But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8)
Have you ever poured yourself into a relationship where you felt used, unappreciated, and invisible? I certainly have. But that painful experience taught me one of the most important lessons of my life about my relationship with God.
I still remember, when, during my college days and before I was born again—I fell in love. I remember the sleepless nights, my racing heart, and the way I gave everything I had to a man who met my devotion with casual indifference. I remember thinking, “If only he would give me a chance, I’d show him how well I can love.” His rejection stung deeply. Yet God, in His wisdom, has reminded me of that memory over the years to teach me something profound about His own boundless, unwavering love.
Every ounce of love and devotion I ever poured into another person pales in comparison to the immeasurable love and generosity God has continually poured into me.
There have been long, dry seasons in my life when I completely ignored God—when I shut Him out, silenced Him, and treated Him like an afterthought. And still, He kept giving. He kept sustaining my breath, my health, my provisions, and my days. He blessed me abundantly even while I was actively rejecting Him and bringing shame to His name. When I finally saw it clearly, the truth hit hard. I was using and abusing God’s love for ME far more than anyone had ever used or abused my love for THEM.
That realization exposed how my own careless, casual heart had kept me from the richest, most fulfilling love relationship available on this earth.
So why do we so often respond to God’s magnificent, extravagant love with rejection or indifference? I can tell you exactly why I did. I failed to truly understand who He is, and I failed to grasp the depth of fulfillment available in a passionate, wholehearted relationship with Him. Without realizing it, I had absorbed the enemy’s distorted, watered-down picture of God, and it turned me into an ambivalent, lukewarm lover of God—or worse, someone who avoided Him altogether.
But when I began to discover how deeply, personally, and relentlessly He loves me, I couldn’t get enough. I still can’t. The more time I spend in His Word and the more I remind myself daily of His goodness toward me, the more overwhelmed with gratitude I become—and the more I want to love Him well in return. God spoke this truth to His people through the prophet Jeremiah:
“The Lord has appeared of old to me, saying: ‘Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore with lovingkindness I have drawn you.’” (Jeremiah 31:3)
This is not a distant, conditional love. It’s a relentless, pursuing love—a love that draws us to Himself long before we ever think to reach for Him. Recognizing God’s true nature and His unrelenting goodness has a transforming effect on the human heart. It becomes the most captivating, consuming passion we could ever know. Our hearts are drawn irresistibly into a deeper relationship with Him. But God will never force us to be thankful, and He will never force us to fall in love with Him. Love, by its very nature, is always a choice. Apart from choosing the gift of salvation itself, choosing to love God is the single best decision we will ever make. The psalmist beautifully wove together love and thankfulness in his song of praise:
“Praise the Lord! Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever.” (Psalm 106:1)
Paul reminds us that God’s goodness isn’t just a reward for good behavior—it’s the very thing meant to soften our hearts toward Him in the first place. He asked the church in Rome:
“Or do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance.” (Romans 2:4)
And John, who walked closely with Jesus, put it simply:
“We love Him because He first loved us.” (1 John 4:19)
Every bit of affection we could ever offer God is simply a reflection—an echo—of what He extended to us first. And Jesus made it unmistakably clear that the proof of our love for Him isn’t found in emotion—but in obedience.
“If you love Me, keep My commandments.” (John 14:15)
Loving God, then, is two-fold. First, it means REJECTING the behaviors and attitudes that shame Him. Second, it means actively EMBRACING the disciplines and practices that grow intimacy with Him. When we turn away from the sins that sent Jesus to the cross, we are loving Him. When we’re faithfully active in church, immersed daily in Scripture, praying earnestly, testifying to His goodness, and staying sensitive to the leading of His Spirit, we are loving Him.
Much like a healthy, thriving marriage, loving God was never meant to be confined to a single hour on Sunday morning. It’s a daily, lived-out devotion—woven through our homes, our workplaces, our friendships, our quiet moments alone, our entertainment choices, and every thought, word, and deed.
When we earnestly seek Him, thank Him without ceasing, and walk in obedience to Him, we experience a love that surpasses anything this world could ever offer.
Prayer:
Lord, I confess that there have been seasons when I have treated Your love carelessly—when I ignored You, ran from You, or simply grew complacent in Your presence. Thank You for never withdrawing Your love from me, even in my most distant and rebellious moments. Draw my heart back to You daily. Teach me to recognize Your goodness in every detail of my life, and let that recognition stir in me a deeper gratitude and a more passionate love. Help me to love You not just with my words, but with my obedience—in my home, my work, my relationships, and every hidden corner of my life. I choose You today, Lord. I choose to love You well. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
