From the book ‘Protecting Against Eternal Identity Theft;’
The testimonies of God’s love around us are countless. They also include special, individualized messages and blessings to each of us that say, in essence, “I know you. I am aware of your every thought and need. I love you. Come to me, trust in me, and let me make you whole. Let me give you all that I have and all that I am.” Each of us can attest to such messages if we are open to recognizing and receiving them.
Yet, so often we ask the wrong questions regarding Heavenly Father’s love for us. There are times we may ask ourselves, “Does God really love me?” For instance, if we have done something wrong, we may erroneously assume God can’t love us because we are “bad.” The problem with these kinds of questions is that they are focusing on us. The crucial component regarding God’s love is not us but God. When we are feeling unloveable, the real question we must ask ourselves is, are we receiving God’s love? God’s love is a gift freely given to each of us. It is up to us to receive that gift. In the scriptures we are asked, “For what doth it profit a man if a gift is bestowed upon him, and he receive not the gift? Behold, he rejoices not in that which is given unto him, neither rejoices in him who is the giver of the gift” (Doctrine and Covenants 88:33) If we do not receive God’s gift of love, then we do not rejoice in or enjoy our own identity or the marvelous blessings that come with His love and His Atonement. And this scripture testifies, we not only miss the benefits of His love but we also miss out on coming to personally know God, our Father. As we mentioned, God’s love is very personal, very individual. When we do receive his love, we also receive Him into our lives in a very personal way. Heavenly Father becomes a very significant reality in our lives day to day. And to know God is to come to know ourselves.
This is certainly not easy. There are many challenges and obstacles to receiving God’s love. The main reason for this is that the adversary does not want us to be filled with God’s great love. If our hearts are filled with Heavenly Father’s love, it will be impossible for the devil to make us miserable “like unto himself” (2 Nephi 9:9). Receiving God’s love is a great way to put Satan behind us (see Mark 8:33) to minimize his influence. . . . Exploring common obstacles to receiving God’s love. . . . most of them boil down to fear and fear usually boils down to pride—-an unhealthy and unholy dependence on self.
[Am I open to receiving the Lord’s love for me? Do I question His ability to love me?] ~Barbara D. Lockhart, Wendy C. Top & Brent L. Top, Protecting Against Eternal Identity Theft (American Fork, Utah: Covenant Communications, Inc, 2013) 53-54
