Session 5
What to do when we doubt the love of God
From 1 John: A 7-Day Devotional
Most of us, at some point, will question or doubt God’s love. Having doubts doesn’t make us bad Christians. It just makes us human.
We live in a confusing and broken world. People disappoint us and let us down. We’ve all seen someone we thought was a strong believer walk away from God.
1 John 2:19 tells us that when people leave the faith and don’t return, they never truly belonged to God. Although they had a convincing façade, they never accepted Jesus into their hearts.
As humans who love conditionally, it can be difficult to grasp that Jesus loves us unconditionally and offers us the gift of eternal life (John 3:16). He always loves us, not because of who we are, but because of who He is.
When we give our lives to Jesus, we become God’s children and receive His Spirit to guide us. We have been anointed by the Holy One, just like John describes. The Holy Spirit acts as a deposit, guaranteeing our future in eternity (Ephesians 1:13-14 and 2 Corinthians 1:22).
When things go wrong, and the world screams that God doesn’t care, the Holy Spirit reminds us of the truth. God did not create us to abandon us; He is working in each one of us at this very moment (Philippians 2:13).
God’s love isn’t going anywhere. He is merciful and gracious, abounding in steadfast love. And He gave us His Spirit so we can remain in Him (1 John 2:28-29).
Reflect:
- Do you ever struggle to believe God loves you and never leaves you? Why or why not?
- Where do you turn when you have doubts about God?
- How has reading the Bible helped you replace lies or misconceptions about God with the truth?