We know and rely on the love God has for us. (1 John 4:16)
How do we learn to “know . . . the love God has for us”? One sure way is reading and believing the Bible, God’s love letters to us. It is here that God tells us what we need to hear—“I love you.” As Paul said it, “Faith [in what God says] comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ.” (Rom 10:17) This was true the first time we heard God’s love for us in the gospel, and it will always be true.
Ever wonder why so much of the New Testament is just another description of the gospel, even though it is written to those who already believe it? Because we need to believe it more! The gospel is the story of God’s love for us. He wants His daughters to read it as the most enthralling (and true!) romance novel imaginable. He wants you to know there really is a guy, whom you will meet one day soon and live with forever, who thinks you are beautiful, precious, and worthy of all the adoration He showers on you. God wants His sons reading the Bible like a letter from their real Father. While they have not yet met Him personally, He is ultimately the One who has always valued, protected, guided, forgiven, and invited them to serve and fight alongside Him.
Knowing God’s love for us is as simple as believing the Bible. This will only fully happen when we choose to reject other messages. This may be a parent who did not unconditionally accept and value us, a friend who rejected us, or a failure that has defined us. What will you believe? Other people, your past, and your “self-talk,” or God?