The world sees what you do, but God knows the heart of why you do it.
The world sees what you do: a token of appreciation here or there, an hour or so serving another person, a few dollars to help someone in need. We feel good about ourselves and the pat on our back makes us stand a little taller.
God knows the heart of why you do it: you hope to receive another favor, to feel better about the hours wasted in front of your television, because you don’t want anyone to think less of you for being stingy.
If our friends knew our true heart, they may never want to speak to us again. Yet God sees everything you do and knows the heart behind why you do it, and still loves you.
Why? Because of who God is.
God is love. 1 John 4:8 says, “But anyone who does not love does not know God, for God is love.” The God of the Bible is not a god of hate, nor does He repay evil with evil. Rather, He is the God who forgives and the God who shows true love.
Nothing can separate you from God’s love. Romans 8:39 says, “No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Nothing you say or do will make God think less of you. Nothing will surprise Him and nothing will separate you from His love.
God sent His Son to save you. 1 John 4:9-10 says, “God showed how much he loved us by sending his one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through him. This is real love—not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins.” God knowingly sent His Son to take the punishment that you deserve. And He thinks you were worth it!
God yearns to be in relationship with you. Jesus told the samaritan woman at the well, “But the time is coming—indeed it’s here now—when true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth. The Father is looking for those who will worship him that way.” (John 4:23, NLT) Fifteen times in the Book of Isaiah and over 100 times in the Book of Jeremiah we find the word “return.” Even when you sin, even when you are far from God, He is pursuing you and wants you to return to Him.
Knowing this, we can have a healthy fear of God. We can trust Him with our whole selves. We can be real about our lives and spirituality with God and turn to Him when we struggle.
These are just 4 truths to understanding what God thinks of you. These are not the only truths about God’s character that reveal His feelings towards us. I encourage you to open up His Word to discover more on your own. Share what you find in the comments.