Does God Really Like You?

I was sitting with some new friends at dinner recently. I wanted to know more about their lives, so I did what I do best: ask questions.

My new friend, Bob, said this about his 20-plus-year marriage to Judy: “We’ve been married for a long time, but it wasn’t until the last few years I knew she really liked me. I know she loves me. She took a vow to love me, but that doesn’t mean she has to like me. But she does. There’s nothing greater than knowing my wife actually likes me and wants to be around me.”

Seriously … does that not make your heart melt?

That got me to thinking about my relationship with God lately. I know God loves me. His Word says it over and over again. A few years ago they were just words to me, but I know that I know that I know God really, really loves me.

I think many of us know that, but are we sure if God really likes us or not? 

Chew on that for a second …

Does God really like you?
Does He want to hang out with you?
Does He want to be with you in all you do?
Go to work with you?
Go for a run with you?
Grocery shop with you?
Hang out with you while you give your kids a bath?
Take the trash out with you?

Or does He just want you to sit, be still, spend a certain amount of time with Him each morning, pray at the dinner table, pray before you go to bed, then do it all again the next day?

Graham Cooke puts to rest any doubts you have as to whether or not God likes you in this recent message he gave at The Deeper Conference.

A very specific part of his message is rocking my world and taking me to a deeper level of knowing that God doesn’t just love me, He likes me too.

Cooke is a phenomenal speaker with a passion to lead people to freedom. God is using him in mighty ways, yet He still questions whether he is doing enough. He sometimes wonders why God doesn’t get tired of him. So he asked God one day. And just like God does when we bring our hearts before Him, He answered. (Yes, God talks to us. No … not in an audible, clouds-parting, Morgan Freeman voice. He speaks to our hearts, often with a gentle, graceful whisper.)

I took Cooke’s name out of the message and put my own in. As you read below, I encourage you to do the same. Take out my name and put yours in. Your heart will be changed, my friend.

“I don’t know why you bother with me. I must frustrate the heck out of you.” –Sundi Jo

“Sundi Jo, I own everything about you. I love all the good, I own all the bad. I don’t have a bad word to say about you. You’re on a journey. I understand where you’ve come from, and to even be here right now is a massive thing, and I have loved every single step. And when you step back, I have no problem stepping back with you. When you backslide, I’ll be on my skateboard going right with you. Daughter, I like being with you. I like walking with you. And if you slide back, I’m not gonna stand here and wait for you to get your act together. I’m going to go with you, because I promised I would never leave you or forsake you. And that means that when you slide back, I actually walk back with you. ‘Cause I’m not leaving you and I’m not giving you up.” –God

Does that truth not rock your world?

God doesn’t just love you. He likes you too. 

He likes you enough to step back with you. He likes you enough to jump on the skateboard when you’re running so fast from Him. He likes being with you. That means …

He wants to hang out with you.
He wants to go to work with you.
He wants to go for a run with you.
He wants to grocery shop with you.
He wants to hang out with you while you give your kids a bath.
He wants to take the trash out with you.
God. Likes. Being. With. Me.

God. Likes. Being. With. YOU. 

I am mesmerized by the fact that God never stops showing up. He never stops rocking my world. He never stops wooing me. He never stops loving me. And He likes me. 

I hope that sinks in for you today, friend, and rocks your world as much as it has mine.