Many people can say 'God loves everyone' and still not believe he loves them. Often that is not a theology problem. It is a wound.
What Christians actually claim
That God's love is not a reward for performance. That it does not lessen when you fail, doubt, rage, or disappear for years.
If someone taught you that God's affection depends on your usefulness, purity, or silence, that was not the Gospel. It may have been control.
What Scripture says
- Isaiah 43:1-4
- Romans 8:38-39
- Luke 15:11-32
Common misconceptions
- “God is disappointed in me.”
- The Catholic understanding is that God sees you with mercy and desires your healing. Shame is not the voice of God.
- “I have to fix myself before God will want me.”
- In the Gospels, Jesus consistently moves toward people before they change anything.
A prayer for this
God, I don't feel loved by you. I'm telling you that honestly.
If you are there, let me know it in a way I can actually receive. Amen.