Mostly What God Does: Reflections on Seeking and Finding His Love Everywhere

by Savannah Guthrie

What are the six foundational aspects of a connection to God? Here is what I came up with: Love. Presence. Praise. Grace. Hope. Purpose.

Blank space. Quiet. Nothingness. This is where God has the greatest opportunity to do his thing.

I returned to my favored adaptation: love yourself is not literal. It just means we should pay as much attention to others as we do ourselves. But then a thought occurred, the kind of revelation that feels otherworldly and buzzes with electricity. In a way, a bonus commandment was hidden within the two that Jesus mentioned. Love the Lord God. Love your neighbor. And love yourself.

Humility is simply recognizing our need for God. Acknowledging our need, as opposed to telling ourselves we’re fully self-sufficient, leaves space for him. That space can and will be filled with his love for us. This love is how we begin to love ourselves—we see ourselves as God sees us. It is the foundation of a real, unshakable confidence.

God’s feelings for us have nothing to do with our feelings toward him. His thoughts toward us have nothing to do with our thoughts toward him. We cannot do or say anything to make him love us more—or less. He loves us not because of who we are or what we do but because of who he is and what he does. He loves. Like a mother. But better.

There have been moments in my life when I have been overcome by a sense of being loved by God. A warmth, an ecstasy even—a feeling that is so sweet and unmistakable I am certain that the Spirit of God is with me. It can come unexpectedly, triggered by a song, a sunset, or a verse that suddenly comes to mind. It can also come upon me for no reason at all. But I know it is him. I recognize him, the way you can sense when someone familiar walks into the room. I smile at him in my mind. There you are. I see you. Thank you. It is an exquisite feeling.

It is a choice every day to remain in God’s love, actively believing it, looking for it everywhere, choosing to interpret circumstances in that light. It amounts to giving God the benefit of the doubt, attributing good intentions to him. Even in times of hardship, asking yourself, How is God loving me in this moment? Willing yourself to search for the evidence of his love, remembering that God said, “You will seek me and find me” (Jeremiah 29:13).