People really want to hear that God is love. They want to hear about how God loves THEM. Why? Because I think the majority of the people in the world really do want to live right; they really do try. But when you’re in a religious system that constantly pushes you to follow strict rules and laws, well, people find themselves failing miserably. And when this failure comes, as it so often does, people can easily begin to believe that God couldn’t possibly love them.

The worst thing about trying to follow rules and laws is, the harder you try the more you fail. And if you do manage to hold it together for a while you end up not enjoying your life. And you don’t realize you’re not enjoying your life until at some point you explode in anger, or get caught in some heinous sin you’ve been trying to keep a secret, or maybe something else. The point is that you can’t hold on, hold in, follow the rules & laws for long before it all gets away from you at some point.

So what do you do? Give up trying? That’s what I ended up doing. That’s also when I realized that God really does love me. God is love. I believe when God created us it was so he could have a family. I don’t think he was desiring a bunch of Christological clones and robots. God is about family, living life, and living it abundantly.

The relationship does not hinge on us following rules and keeping laws. It’s based in love. The first step to knowing God is knowing that he loves you. Once you truly realize this everything changes. How did you react and feel the first time you realized that another human being loved you? If you’re normal you loved them back and it excited you more than anything in your life at that point. That’s because love begets love.

Love is powerfully overcoming. I am willing to admit right here and now that I have had a deep hatred for people who have hurt me in the past. And I found out that you can’t just decide to love and forgive just because it’s written in the bible. The only way it can happen is if the love of God is in you. That, again, begins with knowing God loves you. It’s what He does because God is love.

When you come to a realization that God loves you, no matter what you have done, what you are doing, and can’t seem to stop doing; no matter whom you are or think yourself to be; whether you are in prison, or have been to prison; IT DOESN’T MATTER WHAT, your life will certainly change.

Don’t be surprised if your feelings about people change. Your perception of who God is will change when you get this revelation. When you realize God loves you, well, you have to figure He loves everyone else too (cuz sometimes I’m a rotten piece of s*%t and he still loves me). If he loves me this much, then how should I feel about other people?

I have often of late stated that whatever and whomever you believe God to be, this is what and whom you will become. Knowing His love for you is the key.  It’s the beginning of a life-changing truth. God is love, and when you realize He loves you, you will begin to become love as well. I know what I’m talking about. This has been happening to me for the past 4 t0 5 years now. I’m not saying it has always been easy. I have had to let go of my feelings about people who’ve made me angry or hurt me in some way. I have had to let go of some of the ideas I’ve had about God over the years, but, this life in Christ is quite real. And you can begin to experience that life right now when you believe what I tell you now. God loves YOU!