We love Him because He first loved us. 1 John 4:19 (NKJV)
Truth is of no use unless it is communicated with love. If someone who hates you criticizes your work, you will become defensive and likely won’t listen to what they have to say. But if a good friend takes you aside and talks to you about something you are doing, even though it pains them to do so, you listen.
This is why it’s so destructive when spiritual teachers make people feel like God is out to get them. This doesn’t empower anyone to change—it only destroys their self-worth and ruins their relationship with God. It’s when you discover how much God loves you that you are empowered to change and grow.
If you have begun a relationship with Jesus but you are still struggling with a habit that you know is destroying your life, you need to realize how much you are loved. Sometimes wrong desires are simply a result of a heart that is not experiencing God’s love. You may be trying to experience something else to fill what only His love can fill.
It’s time to tune in. Renew your mind by listening to great teaching, reading God’s Word and spending time with Him. Don’t see the Word as a list of the ways you’re not measuring up. See it as a letter from your Father telling you how much He loves you.
As you experience His love, you will find it easier to feel loved by others as well and you will turn a page in your life. You will also begin to experience a love for people that you’ve never experienced before, along with a desire to change and grow.