God Loves You—But Do You Believe It? Is Your “Truster” Broken?

What if one of the biggest problems in your relationship with God isn’t that God doesn’t love you—but that you have trouble believing that he does?

Years ago, two young children in Rob Skinner’s extended family were adopted from Korea.

Their new parents gave them a loving home, security, opportunities and a family that poured love into them.

But the children struggled.

There was anger.

Mistrust.

Rejection.

As a young man watching from the outside, Rob couldn’t understand it.

Why couldn’t they see how much they were loved?

Then he learned what had happened before their adoption.

Their father had left. Their mother remarried, but her new husband wouldn’t accept the children from her previous marriage.

One day, their mother brought the six- and eight-year-old children to an orphanage. She told them to wait while she went to the restroom.

She never came back.

Suddenly, their difficulty receiving love made sense.

The problem wasn’t that their new family didn’t love them.

They had been hurt so deeply that love had become difficult to trust.

And that raises an important question:

Is Your “Truster” Broken?

Rob first heard the phrase “broken truster” from Gary Meyer, author of Imitating Paul.

And he realized:

“I think I’ve got one.”

Maybe you do too.

Paul prayed in Ephesians 3:17–19 that Christians would have the power to grasp how wide, long, high and deep the love of Christ is.

Why would believing God’s love require power?

Maybe because we bring our entire history into our relationship with God.

Rejection.

Disappointment.

People who left.

Unanswered prayers.

Failure.

Sin.

Shame.

Experiences with parents, authority figures, churches, friendships and relationships.

And without realizing it, we can project those experiences onto God.

We know the Bible says God loves us.

We sing about God’s love.

We tell other people that God loves them.

But somewhere deep inside, a question remains:

“Yes…but does he really love me?”

Put Your Full Weight on God

Rob admits that even after decades of seeing God’s goodness in his life, he can still struggle to trust.

He feels the need to perform.

Produce.

Accomplish.

Fix.

Control.

Prove himself.

He compares it to sitting on an airplane during takeoff or turbulence and gripping the armrests as if somehow keeping his body tense will help keep the plane in the air.

Of course, the airplane doesn’t need his help.

He can sit back.

Relax.

Put his full weight in the seat.

And maybe God is trying to teach us the same lesson:

“Put your full weight on me. I can take it.”

Stop trying to hold everything together.

Stop trying to earn what God has already given you.

Stop trying to prove that you deserve to be loved.

Jesus said:

“Whoever comes to me I will never drive away.” — John 6:37

God isn’t looking for an excuse to get rid of you.

What Happens When We Don’t Trust God’s Love?

When we don’t believe we’re already loved, we start searching elsewhere for what we think is missing.

Maybe another relationship will make me feel loved.

Maybe more money.

Another promotion.

A better body.

More attention.

A growing ministry.

A bigger audience.

Another achievement.

Another person’s approval.

But there’s always another goal.

Another number.

Another accomplishment.

Another person whose approval we want.

We keep reaching because we don’t understand what we already have.

You are already loved.

Rooted and Established in Love

Rob returns to Paul’s words in Ephesians:

“Rooted and established in love.”

Roots aren’t flashy.

Nobody walks through a forest admiring the roots.

We notice the tree.

The leaves.

The fruit.

But when the storm comes, those invisible roots suddenly matter.

Rob doesn’t want his roots to be in his performance, ministry success, money, approval or whether life follows his plans.

He wants to be rooted in one simple conviction:

God loves me.

When you truly believe that, you don’t have to prove yourself constantly.

You can admit when you’re wrong.

You can apologize.

You can take risks.

You can fail and get back up.

You can stop comparing yourself to everybody else.

You can love people without demanding that they love you perfectly in return.

You can rest.

You can breathe.

You can put your full weight on God.

Three Questions to Ask Yourself

1. Where is your “truster” broken?

Where were you disappointed?

Who rejected you?

Who walked away?

What prayer wasn’t answered the way you hoped?

What experience made you question whether God really cares?

2. Where are you looking for something God has already given you?

Approval?

Security?

Significance?

Love?

Peace?

What are you chasing because you secretly believe that once you get it, you’ll finally be okay?

3. What would change if you really believed God loved you?

What would you stop worrying about?

How would you pray?

How would you handle failure?

How would you respond to criticism?

How would you respond when somebody else succeeds?

What risks would you finally take?

People may disappoint you.

People may reject you.

People may leave.

People may fail you.

But don’t confuse people with God.

God’s love is wider than your failures.

Longer than your past.

Higher than your hopes.

Deeper than your wounds.

Maybe your “truster” is a little broken.

Rob’s is too.

But God’s love isn’t broken.

Loosen your grip on the armrest.

Sit back.

Put your full weight on God.

And get rooted in his love.

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