New Evangelizers Post: Do I Really Believe God Loves Me?

I have a new article up at NewEvangelizers.com.  

Have you ever asked yourself the question: “Do I really believe that God loves me?”

This is not the same as the question: “Does God love me?”

The latter is a question of objective truth or falsehood. Either God is real or not and He loves me or He doesn’t. But the former is much more subjective, yet just as important to our lives. If, as the Christian faith teaches, God is Love, then God will love me whether or not I believe in Him. A blind man may not believe that the sun is in the sky, but it will not stop the sun from shining on him. And this former question is the subject of my present reflection.

Some of you might look at the question and think it nonsense; of course every Christian believes that God loves us. It is at the very heart of our religion. You cannot be a believer without this article of faith rooted at the foundation. But I do not think that the matter is as simple as that.

I was listening to a talk by Steven Wood at the Argument of the Month Club (which is a wonderful online place with many great talks for Catholic men). During a discussion, he said that one of the biggest problems facing Catholics is the fact that so many of us don’t really believe God loves us. He was not speaking about those outside the Church, but of people who are fully aware of Christ and His love. This is the source of so much of our brokenness and sin. It is also, I think, the biggest stumbling block to holiness.

Perhaps I am over generalizing my own personal shortcomings. Perhaps you, dear reader, have fully embraced God’s love and it ignites every corner of your being. But my examination of conscience tells me that I do not.

I was a cradle Catholic and spent over 17 years raised in the faith. I went to Catholic school and performed my Catholic duties. But it wasn’t until I encountered Fr. Larry Richards (about whom I have already written here at New Evangelizers) that began to understand the depths of God’s love. The personal sacrifice of Christ on the cross was brought home to me in a new and blinding light. I had a spiritual epiphany and my life was separated into before and after. I finally understood how much God loves me.

Or so I thought.

You can read the entire article here.