The Love You Don’t Have to Prove - iBelieve Truth: A Devotional for Women - March 04, 2026
“But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us”(Romans 5:8, NIV).
It was the first Sunday in March, but nothing felt new or warm inside. Curled into a ball in the corner of my closet, I wrestled with overwhelming anxiety and depression. I was tired.
Tired of trying to be “Good enough.”
Tired of being addicted to work and productivity.
Tired of feeling empty inside.
Tired of checking things off my “spiritual checklist,” yet feeling far from God.
Tired of letting God down.
As I presented these thoughts to the Lord in a weary prayer, however, I was met with silence and love. Instead of giving in to the fear that, “If I stop trying so hard, will God still love me?” I started to believe the truth: God loves me regardless of what I produce.
For as long as I can remember, I’ve lived in a state of proving my value and worth. We don’t say God’s love is earned, but we certainly live like it is (myself included). Feeling close to God is easy, but only on “good” days. We want to pray, but we avoid it when we mess up, fearing shame and letting Him down. Before we know it, we start to believe that obedience results in earning. But what does Scripture actually say?
In Romans 5:8, we read these words: “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us”(NIV). This verse illustrates three key principles:
- God loved us first. He died for us in love because He knew we couldn’t save ourselves.
- God moved towards us. God didn’t wait for us to improve ourselves before rescuing us. No, the Scriptures say that He died for us while we were still sinners.
- Love is the starting point of our relationship with Him, not the reward. When we encounter a personal relationship with Jesus, that relationship is built on a love we can’t earn. It’s a love that grows and deepens over time. God’s love is not a paycheck, but a gracious gift given to all who accept it.
If we’re honest, receiving love is more complicated than earning it. We must come face-to-face with the reality that we can’t earn or work our way into Heaven, goodness, love, or God’s reward. Earning feels controllable. I put X hours of work into it and receive XYZ in payment, for example. But receiving requires surrender, and this is why grace feels uncomfortable.
Friend, you don’t need to fix yourself, catch up spiritually, or prove your sincerity to be loved by God. You need to accept it as freely as it’s given to you. Today, rest in the assurance that God’s love is steady, even when you’re tired, even when you don’t feel spiritual, even when you continue to try to work or earn your way into His love, even when you don’t know what you believe today.
If you struggle to embrace God’s love, try implementing one of these simple practices:
- Sit in silence for 5-10 minutes. Pray and then meditate on Romans 5:8.
- Make a list of ways you try to prove God’s love for you. Then, make a list of the attributes of God. Compare and contrast the list.
- Read the Easter story. Think about how God gave His life for sinners, and what that means for you and me—Journal about this in a prayer of thanks and praise.
- Talk to a friend about your struggles. Ask them to pray with you and remind you of God’s love for you.
- Share God’s love with someone today. Remind them that they don’t need to prove or earn anything from God; they need to receive it.
Prayer
Dear Jesus, help me receive this love you’ve freely given me. Instead of trying to work or earn my way to obtain it, remind me that your love is steady and never lets me go. You pursue me. You love me. You see me. And you care about what I’m experiencing. When I’m tempted to prove my worth, remind me that you died for me while I was a sinner. To those who accept this love, you can never be taken away from me. I love you, Jesus! Thank you for this indescribable gift, freely given to all who believe. In Jesus’ Name we pray, Amen.
Related Resource: Instead of Doing More This Summer, Maybe You Need to Do Less
If you've been feeling tired, overwhelmed, depleted, or just quietly wondering where God is in the middle of a very full life — this episode is for you. And honestly? It might be for me too, because I'm recording this in one of those seasons myself.
Today we're doing something a little different. Instead of going deep in a passage, we're talking about what to do when deep feels like too much — when you need less, not more. Specifically, I'm walking you through one of my favorite practices for weary seasons: handwriting scripture.
Not typing it. Not scrolling past it. Actually writing it out, slowly, in your own hand — because something happens in your brain when you do that. The words land differently. They go deeper. And over time, they become part of that personal library of God's voice that the Holy Spirit can pull from when you need it most. That's what Psalm 119:11 means when it says I have hidden your word in my heart — it's scripture moving into your long-term memory, where it lives and stays even when you haven't opened your Bible in weeks.
I'm sharing the five verses I wrote out for myself today — and why each one hit me fresh even though I've known some of them for years. This episode is part of our How to Study the Bible Podcast, a show that brings life back to reading the Bible and helps you understand even the hardest parts of Scripture. If this episode helps you know and love God more, be sure to follow the How to Study the Bible Podcast on Apple or Spotify so you never miss an episode!
