Is it true that it's only God who cares for us as individuals?

StarryEyedShoeGazer said:

I have a question.

Is it true that only God cares for me as an individual?
Let me clarify that: people in my life ( or anyone's life) will only stay there as long as I serve their interests.
Others will do so out of seeking for an eternal reward - so self interest.
Even my parents - or care givers will age and become self absorbed.

Does human love even exist?

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The Bible (I John 4:19) says that we love because God first loved us. 1 John 4: 7-8 says, "Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. He who does not love does not know God, for God is love."

This means that if you have been born again as a believer, you have the capacity for genuine love because the Holy Spirit comes to live inside of you. At the same time, we still have our fleshly sin nature so our love is imperfect. But God's love is perfect. So when you find someone who is continually and genuinely seeking God in their life, that love will be more evident. It is still human love, meaning that they will sometimes let you down. But the love itself is still possible. If they are trying to love out of their own strength, on the other hand, instead of God's strength that love can only go so far. And can be easily tossed by the wind.

StarryEyedShoeGazer said:

Is it true that only God cares for me as an individual?

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No.

StarryEyedShoeGazer said:

Does human love even exist?

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Yes.

StarryEyedShoeGazer said:

My question was is God the ONLY one one who truly loves us.

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No.

StarryEyedShoeGazer said:

I have a question.

Is it true that only God cares for me as an individual?
Let me clarify that: people in my life ( or anyone's life) will only stay there as long as I serve their interests.
Others will do so out of seeking for an eternal reward - so self interest.
Even my parents - or care givers will age and become self absorbed.

Does human love even exist?

Click to expand...

Any act of Biblical love on the part of mankind is evidence of sanctification.

StarryEyedShoeGazer said:

I have a question.

Is it true that only God cares for me as an individual?
Let me clarify that: people in my life ( or anyone's life) will only stay there as long as I serve their interests.
Others will do so out of seeking for an eternal reward - so self interest.
Even my parents - or care givers will age and become self absorbed.

Does human love even exist?

Click to expand...

Human love exists.....even in the world..... The world Loves their own, the bible states. In most cases, a parents love for their child is unmatched....whether they go to church or not.....and their love is not self serving.

Now...the difference would be that those, born of God, can love their family and enemy equally.....while those without the love of God, would need a reason, or an apology etc....to love their enemies....

StarryEyedShoeGazer said:

I have a question.

Is it true that only God cares for me as an individual?
Let me clarify that: people in my life ( or anyone's life) will only stay there as long as I serve their interests.
Others will do so out of seeking for an eternal reward - so self interest.
Even my parents - or care givers will age and become self absorbed.

Does human love even exist?

Click to expand...

People love to varying degrees, some better, some worse. And we all possess varying degrees of pride and selfishness at the same time, which oppose love by their nature. Perfect love has no self-interest; it's all self-sacrifice for the good of others. Either way none of us love as God would have us love, because He, alone, can accomplish that in us as a result of communion with Him, and there's no limit to how deeply one can love because love has no limits. I also appreciate a profound thought expressed by Teresa of Avila, a 16th century believer: "It's love alone that gives worth to all things."

StarryEyedShoeGazer said:

I have a question.

Is it true that only God cares for me as an individual?
Let me clarify that: people in my life ( or anyone's life) will only stay there as long as I serve their interests.
Others will do so out of seeking for an eternal reward - so self interest.
Even my parents - or care givers will age and become self absorbed.

Does human love even exist?

Click to expand...

I know for me personally the purist form of love is between me and my children. It is unconditional. God loves us unconditionally as well. We are His children. We love others another way and those who we do not know yet another.
Be blessed.

yeshuaslavejeff said:

True Godly Love is rare, as is truth, as is honesty, as the Bible reports always.

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Concur...

Many a man proclaims his own steadfast love, but a faithful man who can find?
—Proverbs 20:6

StarryEyedShoeGazer said:

I have a question.

Is it true that only God cares for me as an individual?
Let me clarify that: people in my life ( or anyone's life) will only stay there as long as I serve their interests.
Others will do so out of seeking for an eternal reward - so self interest.
Even my parents - or care givers will age and become self absorbed.

Does human love even exist?

Click to expand...

I believe it's very possible to serve someone irregardless of self interest.

The way I see it each individual has a similar but also different life experience. When your life decides to take care of someone who relies on you but has also given you significant biblical justifiable reasons to turn your back on and reject them. I think it gives a little peek through a door about how God loves us.

“For if you love those who love you, what goodness do you have? Even sinners love those who love them.” Luke 6:32 ABPE

RaymondG said:

Human love exists.....even in the world..... The world Loves their own, the bible states. In most cases, a parents love for their child is unmatched....whether they go to church or not.....and their love is not self serving.

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Some of us would say the same thing about our love for our cats and their love for us.

StarryEyedShoeGazer said:

I have a question.

Is it true that only God cares for me as an individual?

Click to expand...

No.

Let me clarify that: people in my life ( or anyone's life) will only stay there as long as I serve their interests.
Others will do so out of seeking for an eternal reward - so self interest.
Even my parents - or care givers will age and become self absorbed.

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I think the issue here is a misunderstanding of what love is and means and how it works.

Does human love even exist?

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Yes.

StarryEyedShoeGazer said:

I have a question.

Is it true that only God cares for me as an individual?
Let me clarify that: people in my life ( or anyone's life) will only stay there as long as I serve their interests.
Others will do so out of seeking for an eternal reward - so self interest.
Even my parents - or care givers will age and become self absorbed.

Does human love even exist?

Click to expand...

Human love is fundamentally different than God's love because we are two different kinds of beings. So it makes sense that how we love is not and never will be the same as how God loves.

That being said, I don't think God loves and cares about us as individuals insofar as caring about what we want, what we think we need, and what makes us unique. He is concerned with more important things than what makes us unique individuals. God may know about the number of hairs on our head and our talents and failings but I wouldn't go so far as to say that He cares much about those things because they do not pertain to us serving/worshiping Him.

In short, God cares about us because He wants us to love Him. Love, in God's way, is a choice. Humanity might think that cheapens the definition of love because we care very much about feelings and emotions. God is not like that. He looks at us, knowing that we are imperfect and often foul creatures and makes the choice to love us, which is different than how humans love but ultimately, a big deal. And, in return, it is our choice to love Him back or not.

Archivist said:

Some of us would say the same thing about our love for our cats and their love for us.

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Yes, many consider their pets to be family/children....so they can be lumped in.......although the pet could turn on you if you stop feeding them.....I human child would love you till their death.

uh I'm pretty sure your mother and father love you selflessly. Parents will die to protect their children, they will murder to protect their children. Think about that a moment, they are willing to commit a grievous sin, even if they're not saved, spending eternity being tortured in hell, to protect their child. Sometimes other relationships can have that strong of a love as well, willing to sacrifice themselves for someone else. Jesus was the example set for people on how powerful selfless love is, but it is not the ONLY example, it's just the most extreme because Jesus did it for ALL people, not just 1 or two people related closely to Him or that they love and want to protect. There's all kinds of relationships where selfless love exists. Soldiers and Marines leaping onto a grenade to protect their brothers in arms from the explosion, dying in the process. They love those comrades, even if it costs them everything on this earth. Spouses protecting each other, sometimes it's strangers who risk their lives selflessly to save others like firefighters., or a teacher shielding their students from a shooter with their own body, a police officer. Those people we call heroes.
Jesus is the ultimate hero. He did it on a scale we can't duplicate.
But don't think all human love is selfish.

RaymondG said:

Yes, many consider their pets to be family/children....so they can be lumped in.......although the pet could turn on you if you stop feeding them.....I human child would love you till their death.

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Yes, some animals could turn on their companion humans. However, I will never forget when I was in bed a couple weeks before I ended up in the hospital to have my foot amputated. My little kitty MacKenzie hopped up in bed with me carrying her favorite toy mouse. She put the mouse down in front of me, then looked into my eyes and gave me a kiss before hopping out of bed. She knew that I wasn't well and wanted to share her favorite toy with me. That is unselfish love.

StarryEyedShoeGazer said:

I have a question.

Is it true that only God cares for me as an individual?
Let me clarify that: people in my life ( or anyone's life) will only stay there as long as I serve their interests.
Others will do so out of seeking for an eternal reward - so self interest.
Even my parents - or care givers will age and become self absorbed.

Does human love even exist?

Click to expand...

In John 15:13, Jesus states "There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends."
Obviously, Jesus is the ultimate example of this. There's been plenty of others who have died defending their family and friends too. One that comes to mind is the teacher that died shielding the kid during the Sandy Hook school shooting. I'm not saying that her sacrifice was equal to what Jesus did, as only he could die for the forgiveness of sins, but I believe she falls into the category of having the greatest love possible for someone else. So yes, human love does exist.

StarryEyedShoeGazer said:

I have a question.

Is it true that only God cares for me as an individual?
Let me clarify that: people in my life ( or anyone's life) will only stay there as long as I serve their interests.
Others will do so out of seeking for an eternal reward - so self interest.
Even my parents - or care givers will age and become self absorbed.

Does human love even exist?

Click to expand...

Good question...... author Rick Joyner had a series of dreams that he put into a book and he was shown that we humans are far, far, far, far more important to and genuinely loved by the deceased saints and prophets and our great, great grandparents in heaven than we can imagine.

The best of love on this earth originates out of what is going on in heaven.

The most relevant part begins around the 2:20:00 mark in this audio video version of his book.

StarryEyedShoeGazer said:

I have a question.

Is it true that only God cares for me as an individual?
Let me clarify that: people in my life ( or anyone's life) will only stay there as long as I serve their interests.
Others will do so out of seeking for an eternal reward - so self interest.
Even my parents - or care givers will age and become self absorbed.

Does human love even exist?

Click to expand...

God cares for everyone individually. He cares collectively also. There are people who love with God's love, who love God just because of who He is and not what He can do for them. God loves us while we are sinners. He can do more for those who love Him because they are in a relationship with God.

There is human love, just as there is human patience, happiness, peace of mind and such. Compared to God's love, patience, joy etc., man's love is pathetic.

StarryEyedShoeGazer said:

I have a question.

Is it true that only God cares for me as an individual?
Let me clarify that: people in my life ( or anyone's life) will only stay there as long as I serve their interests.
Others will do so out of seeking for an eternal reward - so self interest.
Even my parents - or care givers will age and become self absorbed.

Does human love even exist?

Click to expand...

I could respond to this as a theological question, but my heart hurts for you as I read these words. I sense you are very sad and bitter towards humans. I can relate to a lot of the same feelings as I've been let down a lot.

But, I'll answer. I would very much like to think that is not so. That humans are very capable of caring about me as an individual. Sadly, a lot of relationships are very transactional. I read about these thick and thin relationships in books and see them in my video games. But I haven't seen them in real life. I've had a lot of people come and go in my life like a revolving door. The only people still there are a few online friends (some I've never met in person) and my family. It makes me appreciate family all the more--they may not always get me, and they aren't perfect, but they are still there.

I get depressed thinking of all love as merely transactional. So I don't want to believe it to be so. It's why I create lots of stories in my head and write. It's a place where I can express the kind of love that I want, even if it's not possible in this earthly realm.

No one can understand us the way God can. But I still like to hold out for this sense of hope. Even if it never comes. That sense of hope is what gives me the strength to keep going and not sink in to a pit of despair.

I hope that, as disappointed as you are, that you keep your heart open. Trust God and understand that this life isn't eternal, but still, keep your heart open.

derpytia said:

Human love is fundamentally different than God's love because we are two different kinds of beings. So it makes sense that how we love is not and never will be the same as how God loves.

That being said, I don't think God loves and cares about us as individuals insofar as caring about what we want, what we think we need, and what makes us unique. He is concerned with more important things than what makes us unique individuals. God may know about the number of hairs on our head and our talents and failings but I wouldn't go so far as to say that He cares much about those things because they do not pertain to us serving/worshiping Him.

In short, God cares about us because He wants us to love Him. Love, in God's way, is a choice. Humanity might think that cheapens the definition of love because we care very much about feelings and emotions. God is not like that. He looks at us, knowing that we are imperfect and often foul creatures and makes the choice to love us, which is different than how humans love but ultimately, a big deal. And, in return, it is our choice to love Him back or not.

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Divine love, as portrayed in John's First Epistle, is amazing different from human love; He first loved us...