Care vs Loved

1 Peter 5:7

“Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.”

There’s something about this verse that sticks to me. It’s profound. It shows me the depth of God’s heart toward me. To know that God cares is sometimes a more intense thing than He loves me. 

I know that’s an unpopular opinion if it is one at all. Maybe it’s just me. Let me explain.

Perhaps it’s because I’ve had my share of those who said ‘I love you’ but didn’t act accordingly. ‘I love you’ they say, but I’m treated as less than. An afterthought. When they have time. If they have time. Compassion lacks. Empathy: unheard of. My emotions: misconstrued. Never given weight. Let alone a listening ear. They don’t care. 

Yes, my parents love me, but like, they’re my parents. They’re supposed to. It’s a bit of an obligation or high expectation that they do. Or maybe it’s the blanket statement that we collectively treat love that makes it a general notion to me. We love pizza. We also love learning, going swimming, traveling, and so on.

God’s love is nothing like this. It is unconditional. It’s real and deep. I know that. But to know that He cares for me encompasses something deeper that resonates with my heart. It unlocks something within me. More meaningful. More tangible action is expected. He shows up for me because He cares. 

When God cares it means:

He sees me. 

He hears me. 

He protects me.

He makes time for me.

He understands me. 

Flaws and all.

He sees where I’m fragile and where I don’t have to be so strong. Because He wants to be strong for me. I’m valuable. I have worth. He handles me gently like the daughter He sees me as. He cares. 

You can argue He does all of that out of love. But for me, His care holds a weight with me that I’m realizing is something to cherish. I am able to believe in the love He professes because He showed me that He cared. 

Maybe for you knowing He loves you is enough. But as we close out February where we’ve been bombarded with love everywhere we turn, I want you to know, just like I know, that He cares about who you are. 

Perhaps His care is simply how He meets me. It’s the cracked door He uses to open up to what true love is. 

His love is enough. His care adds weight to that belief. Here’s to embracing all of it and more each day.