I can safely say that if there is one thing I’ve sought out in my life—just one thing that has captivated all of my effort, time, money, and thoughts—it’s this: acquiring the love that the world promises us.

In high school and especially college, I was constantly seeking this kind of love, somehow knowing it to exist. I romanticized every relationship I was in and tried to conform it to the image I had in my head. I’d write notes. I’d give gifts. I’d compliment. I’d be creative. I’d be sensitive. And I’d think to myself, “Why isn’t this working?”

I’d constantly find myself unsatisfied, and doubly so when I knew that I wasn’t what my girlfriend deserved. I knew I was cruel at times and selfish almost always. So I quickly threw away the notion that true love even exists. How could it? I’d sought it out completely, with every type of girl I could find, and with every type of relationship I could create.

Recently, I’ve been thinking about the love of God and how it’s floored me intellectually, emotionally, and wholly—in every way I’ve wanted love to floor me. It’s so unbelievable to know that the same being who spoke the universe and who sits enthroned above all—the God who is in need of nothing, who owns everything—simply desires my heart. He loves enough to give his own son over to a sinner’s death and humiliation, enduring the undeserved wrath of God for me.

The heart of God beats for his sons and daughters. He longs to give us something the world can't even come close to promising: his heart.