'Don't ignore God, and don't go through life centred only on yourself'—Billy Graham
People sometimes find it difficult to reciprocate God's love, and sometimes they think that it's perfectly fine to just think of God occasionally and love him—but not with a passion.
According to Billy Graham, one of the most popular evangelists of all time, this lukewarm feeling towards God has to change, and it all starts when people truly open their hearts to God.
"Let me ask you a question: How often do you suppose God thinks about you? Does he think about you only once in a while, or even hardly at all? In other words, does he give you about as much thought as you give to Him?" Graham writes in an article for The Kansas City Star.
Graham says God loves His people very much, and they are in God's thoughts every moment of the day (and even night!)
"He didn't create you and then forget all about you. Instead, no matter where you are or what you're doing, God knows all about you," he says. "But God not only knows all about you, He also loves you and cares about you, and He wants what is best for you. He loves you so much that He came down to earth in the person of his son, Jesus Christ, who gave his life for your salvation."
Graham then quotes the Bible verse 1 John 4:10: "This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins."
And once people truly realise just how much God loves them, their lives will never be the same, says Graham. "Don't ignore God, and don't go through life centred only on yourself," he says. "Instead, by a simple prayer of faith open your heart to Christ and commit your life to him. God loves you — and life's greatest joys come from knowing him and loving him in return."