There’s a deep need inside every human heart: the need to be loved.

You can see it in a child’s eyes when they reach for a parent’s affection. You can see it in a teenager desperately trying to fit in. You can see it in adults chasing approval through success, image, or relationships.

We were created to be loved — first by God and then by others.

That’s why it’s so damaging to grow up in a home where love is rare. Maybe you know what that feels like. Maybe mom and dad didn’t show much affection. Maybe the words you heard were more critical than kind. Maybe your siblings were harsh or distant. When there isn’t much love in a home, it leaves a deep mark on the soul.

Some of you are still carrying that wound.

You may not say it out loud, but quietly you wonder:
“Am I really worth loving?”
“Is there something wrong with me?”
“Do I have to perform to be accepted?”

This is where the gospel of Jesus Christ becomes incredibly powerful and healing.

Through Christ, God looks at you and says:
“I love you — not conditionally, not temporarily, but faithfully and forever.”

Psalm 118:1 says,
“Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good;
His faithful love endures forever.”

Human love can be wonderful, but it’s not perfect. It can be inconsistent. It can be selfish. It can come and go. People can change. People can walk away. People can fail to love us well — even people who truly care.

But God’s love is different. His love is steady. It doesn’t shift like the wind. It doesn’t rise and fall with your emotions or your performance. It doesn’t disappear when you stumble.

God loves you in your sins.
He loves you in your failures.
He loves you in your worst moments and your weakest seasons.

Now, that doesn’t mean He wants you to stay stuck in sin or brokenness. His love will lead you to change, to repent, to grow. But hear this: your behavior does not turn His love on or off. You don’t have that kind of power over His heart.

For many years, I’ve been learning to do something simple but life-changing:
I define myself as one who is radically loved by God.

Not as “the work I do.”
Not as “the mistakes I’ve made.”
Not as “what people think about me.”

But as a man who is deeply, unshakably loved by the God of the universe.

And I can tell you, it has brought so much healing to my life.

What if you did the same?

What if, instead of letting your past, your pain, or other people’s opinions define you, you let this be the most important thing about you:

“I am radically loved by God.”

Imagine starting your day with that truth.
Imagine facing temptation with that truth.
Imagine walking through disappointment with that truth.

When you know you are loved:

• Shame starts to lose its grip.

• Fear doesn’t have the same power.

• You’re not as desperate for approval, because you already have acceptance in Christ.

• You stop living for scraps of love from others and start living from the fullness of God’s love for you.

So how do you root yourself in that love?

Here are a few simple steps:

1. Fill your mind with God’s Word about His love.
   Spend time in passages like Psalm 118, Romans 8, Ephesians 3, and 1 John 3. Let God tell you who you are.

2. Speak the truth over your life.
   Out loud, say, “Father, thank You that I am radically loved by You.” Do it when you feel unworthy. Do it when shame whispers in your ear.

3. Bring your wounds to God.
   Don’t hide the places where you were not loved well. Talk to Him about your story. Invite Him into those memories and ask Him to heal your heart.

4. Let His love become your identity.
   When someone rejects you or disappoints you, remind yourself: “Their response doesn’t define me. God’s love does.”

Over time, as you root yourself in God’s faithful love, you’ll find your soul growing stronger, steadier, and more secure.

You are not your past.
You are not your worst day.
You are not the love you didn’t receive.

In Christ, you are radically loved by God.
Let that be the most important thing about you — and watch what happens to your life over time.