How Do I Know God Loves Me?

God loves you! I’ve heard that message for many years and never had a problem believing it. It wasn’t too long ago, however, that I realized that I didn’t really feel it. After all, there’s a big difference between knowing it in your head and feeling it in your heart. When trials and tribulations arise, a textbook knowledge of God’s love or a Bible verse doesn’t cut it. Frustrated that I kept falling apart when things didn’t go my way, I finally asked myself an important question – How do I know God loves me?

Is the Bible Enough?

I make my living writing and speaking about how a relationship with Jesus is essential to overcoming worry. As a “recovering” worrier myself, I can vouch for the fact that it works. The Bible continues to be a great resource for me, as there are hundreds of verses that deal with anxiety. In my book, Stop Worrying and Start Living (2016, Dynamic Catholic), I present 365 verses that can ease anxieties. As powerful as these verses are, however, the Bible is still not enough.

God Loves You (and you need to feel it!)

In order to break free from worry and live in peace, you not only need to know that “God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life” (John 3:16), but you need to feel it. So once again, I’m faced with the question – How do I know God loves me?

But, How Do I KNOW God Loves Me?

Interestingly enough, the answer to the question is contained in the Bible. More than just a verse to be memorized (which is not a bad idea), it give us a plan of action. In his letter to the Romans, St. Paul tells us how we can know that God loves us:

The love of God has been poured out into our hearts through the holy Spirit that has been given to us. (Romans 5:5)

Bam! It’s the Holy Spirit’s job to pour out God’s love into my heart. Pretty cool, right? Once I started asking the Holy Spirit to fill me with this love, it happened. I not only knew that God loved me, but I felt it too! It took a while, but it definitely worked.

If you pray the following prayer several times every day, you will not only know that God loves you, but you will feel it too. Trust me, it works!

Come, Holy Spirit and pour out God’s love into my heart. Amen.