The One Who Loves You Better Than You Love Yourself.

By: Kaelyn Gribble

They always say, “You have to learn to love yourself before anyone else can properly love you.” But what if I told you that’s not entirely true?

What I’ve come to know is this — there is Someone who loves you even better than you could ever love yourself. It’s almost mind-blowing to think about, isn’t it? That there’s a love so deep, so unconditional, that it surpasses even our own understanding of self-love.

That someone is God.

I know, I know — it might sound cliché. But it’s the truth. To know love is to know God, because “God is love” (1 John 4:7-8). It’s a kind of love so pure that our human minds can’t even fully grasp it. As a girl who truly loves love — the whole concept, the feeling, that fairytale type of love with the perfect ending — I used to think that was the pinnacle. But as life unfolds, it has a way of clouding that vision.

Through heartbreak, disappointment, and seasons of hardship, we start to question if unconditional love even exists. And when it feels like no one could ever love us correctly, we wonder, Does true love even exist? The answer is yes — and it never left you. God’s love has been there from the very beginning. When we truly experience His love, we understand that He is the only way to real, lasting love. There’s no other path. No matter how hard we try to seek it in people, places, or things — it always comes back to Him.

“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud… it always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres” (1 Corinthians 13:4-7). That’s the love of God — steadfast, patient, and unfailing. His love doesn’t withdraw when we fall short or when we can’t see our own worth. Instead, His love ignites something inside of us — the desire to love ourselves better, and to love others deeper.

In the moments I didn’t know how to love myself, when I felt unworthy, or when I doubted I’d ever experience that “perfectly imperfect” love story — the husband, the family, the kind of love that hugs your soul — God gently reminded me that He had already paved the way.

There’s a voice I hear sometimes, softly whispering, “I love you. All of you.” And that’s always been my reminder that I am loved, because God lives in me.

I may never understand why He loves me the way He does, but every single day His love gives me the push I need to persevere in a dark world. It’s the light I feel. It’s the warmth in my spirit. It’s the softness that keeps my heart tender and open. “Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love” (Ephesians 4:2). That’s what His love teaches us — humility, grace, patience, and peace.

So my advice? Seek Him. Lean on Him. Trust Him.

God loves you more than you can imagine. He gives grace when you fall, mercy when you fail, and provision when you’re in need. With Him, you can never lose — ever.

Go in peace, and walk in love — always knowing that it’s possible, because with God, love never fails. 💛