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What Prevents You from Receiving God’s Love for You?

We all desire to love and be loved. Often, we think another person will make us happy and fill the void inside. But, sadly, we end up putting demands on our date or spouse to make us feel adored, and to meet our needs so our love tank is always full. But they were never meant to satisfy the God-shaped love void inside of us.

And the inner emptiness continues.

So we date and breakup over and over in search for the golden person who will finally fill up the emotional vacuum in our hearts to make us feel loved, worthy, and desired all the time.

We endlessly search for something we cannot find.

Here, then, is the big question: What if you already have the love you’re looking for?

How is that possible? When you return to your First Love, or come to know Him for the very first time, you find true and lasting love. Love of a different kind.

Your First Love, your primary source of love, comes from God. And when you receive that amazing and unconditional love, you feel confident and whole. In turn, you are better able to give love to others—such as in a dating partner, marriage, or other relationships.

When you learn to receive God’s love for you, everything changes.

 What Blocks You From Receiving God’s Love?

For some people, it’s not easy to accept God’s love. What are some things that block your love receptors? Here are just a few obstacles:

You’re uninformed. You’ve never heard the incredible fact that God loves you, and that His love is personal, unconditional, and never ending.

You feel unworthy. You think you need to clean up your act first before you’ll be “good enough” for God to love you.

You fear rejection. People who were supposed to love you either abandoned you or didn’t love you consistently, so you’re afraid of being vulnerable and hurt again.

Sin or unforgiveness is blocking your path, so you shut down your heart from accepting God’s love.

You’ve never learned to receive love of any kind.  Because of past trauma or pain from childhood, you learned to protect your heart to avoid being emotionally wounded. And you never learned to open your heart and receive love because it seemed risky and unsafe.

You have a skewed perception of God’s love. It’s essential to know God’s character so you can have certainty about all of His attributes, including His love—which is unconditional and everlasting.

Many years ago, I had a huge misperception of what God was like. Because of past emotional injuries and rejection, I imagined God sitting in a large executive chair with his back toward me. When I approached, He would swirl around and grumpily ask me what I wanted—and I had to be quick about it.

Then, I learned the truth. God is slow to anger and abounding in love! Psalm 86:15 (ESV) says, “But you, O Lord, are a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness.”

The reality is that God is constantly loving you—day and night—whether you feel it or not. When you know what He’s really like, you can learn to open your heart and receive His free gifts of mercy, grace, and love.

God Demonstrates His Love

Let’s look at the truth about God’s love and how He has demonstrated it many times:

God is Love. You may have heard that He is the author of love, but even more so, God IS Love. I John 4:8 (ESV) reminds us: “Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.”

God’s love is not based on your performance or works. He doesn’t put conditions on His love like some human beings. His love is never-ending. God promises He will help you with His strength, provision, protection, and guidance (Psalm 46:1). He reassures you that He will be with you always (Hebrews 13:5). And God never breaks His promises.

God demonstrates His love through Creation. The One who hung the moon, and knows all of the stars by name—our creative and powerful God loves you and me! He keeps our planet suspended in the Milky Way galaxy, spinning on an axis close enough to the sun to warm us, but far enough away not to burn up our planet. He created the tiniest microbe and the tallest mountain. And He created you—you were His idea.

God showed us His great love by His death and resurrection. Most importantly, as Romans 5:8 (ESV) reminds us, “But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” God sent his Son, Jesus Christ, to earth to be our Savior. He lived a sinless life, and taught us how to love each other and how to truly live. His death was the ultimate sacrifice required for mankind to be reconciled to God.

After a broken relationship with Him caused by sin, Christ made a way for those far off to be near again. We needed a Savior to reconnect us to God and save us from certain death. And Christ’s victory over the grave gives us forgiveness of sins, triumphant hope for eternal life, and powerful help here and now.

How to Receive God’s love:

More than simply knowing He loves you, God longs for you to experience the gift of His love every day. How can you do that?

  1. Spend time in prayer. Prayer is communicating, talking and listening with the One who loves you most. The Lord desires to spend time with you, and He is always available. Ask Him what is blocking you from receiving His love. Acknowledge and ask forgiveness for any sin or wrongdoings in your life.
  2. Soak in God’s Word, the Bible. The Word of God is living and active. As we read it, we are changed from the inside out.
  3. Lean in to worship. Worship draws us near to God. When we come with a heart of gratitude for all that He is and all that He has done, it brings us joy and pleases God.
  4. Serve others. When we help others and have a heart for service, we feel closer to God.
  5. Be in community with other believers. As you spend time with fellow Christians, not isolated or alone, you can come to know what love looks and feels like. You can find heart healing, too, as you interact with others.
  6. Rely on the power of the Holy Spirit. Ask God to help you feel His love in a deeper way. Trust that He will bring healing and wholeness as you grow closer to God.
  7. Challenge your negative beliefs and replace them with God’s truths. The fact is: God loves you just the way you are right now. It doesn’t matter what you’ve done—or not done. He accepts you, and lovingly corrects you when needed so you can grow. He loves you in your brokenness and graciously transforms you through your repentance. God will give you the power—and move in and through you—to make real and lasting changes in your life.

As the truth of God heals your heart, you will be better able to receive and retain that love.

What Will Your Response Be?

You are a child of God, a well-loved son or daughter. You belong in His family! You are seen and known, loved and accepted. He doesn’t just “put up with” you or tolerate you, God loves you—more than you know.

Remember, it’s not about religion, it’s about a relationship with God. He created you, cares about you, and wants His best for you. He wants to build a connection that is solid and strong.

Even if you don’t feel it, believe that this love gift is true. That’s where faith comes in. We walk by faith, not by sight (2 Cor. 5:7).

Will you choose to believe and receive God’s love for you?

When you do, your life will change in amazing ways. Ask God to draw you closer to Himself. Seek the Lord and you will find a fresh perspective on His love, and an ever closer relationship with Him.

Jackie M. Johnson

Jackie M. Johnson

Jackie M. Johnson is an accomplished author and content creator who inspires, encourages, and equips readers worldwide with faith-based resources for personal and spiritual growth.

Jackie is the author of many popular books packed with ideas and inspiration to encourage and equip you to live with greater hope and joy.

Connect with Jackie at www.jackiejohnsoncreative.com

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