There Is A God Who Feels Deeply, Who Can Empathize.. But Not Like We Do. He Is Perfect In His Care.
Here is a biblical meditation for ya on God’s emotions, agape love, and generous, unchangeable, holy character.
Ya know, I think we Christians must tread carefully when speaking of God’s emotions and care. Let's stay biblical in all areas.
Unlike fickle human feelings, which rise and fall with circumstances, God’s loving care, feelings and wrath even (cuz He's flawlessly just and fair).. flow out from His perfect righteousness. They DO NOT flow from passing moods, weird motives, or bad attitudes that he feels. He's always 100% good -- yep, unlike me with His good attitude and kind motives.
God is light and there is no darkness in Him.
He can and does empathize with us, but he is not swayed by impulses or pain. As the faithful Puritans understood, God is impassible—not cold or distant, but unshaken, steady, and pure with His caring affections.
This may seem hard to grasp, but it’s a glorious truth. God’s love is not fragile or reactionary like ours. His mercy isn’t fickle. He does not swing from joy to frustration or grow weary of loving us. “God is love” (1 John 4:8), and His compassion is deliberate, deep, and unchanging. As Lamentations reminds us: “His mercies are new every morning” (Lam. 3:22–23).
We often reduce God to human terms—imagining Him as a slightly better version of ourselves. But Psalm 50:21 warns, “You thought I was just like you.” He is not. God’s wrath isn’t an outburst, and His kindness isn’t a whim. All His attributes—love, justice, holiness, compassion—work in perfect harmony. None diminishes the other. “Behold the kindness and severity of God” (Rom. 11:22).
Some today reject the idea of impassibility, thinking it makes God seem indifferent. But Scripture shows the opposite: God’s changeless nature is the foundation of our hope. His compassion isn’t weakened by time or circumstance. “As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear Him” (Ps. 103:13). Far from being detached, God draws near with unshakable care.
Look closely at the Old Testament. Far from only portraying God as a stern judge, it overflows with verses showing His patient, enduring love—even when He disciplines. The prophets, even in warning of judgment, always point back to His mercy (see Hosea 14, Jeremiah 33, Isaiah 54). God’s justice and kindness are never in conflict—they are perfectly intertwined.
And God’s clearest self-expression is in Jesus. In Christ, we see divine power displayed in humility and perfect holiness wrapped in mercy. “Power made perfect in weakness” (2 Cor. 12:9). Christ shows us a God who weeps, heals, forgives, and bears our sin—not because He’s emotionally fragile, but because He is infinitely faithful.
So let us not shape God in our image or view Him wrongly, believers. Instead, let Scripture shape our view of Him--let's allow Him to change us to become more like Jesus. His love is deeper than emotion. God's love is a verb, he acted on it. We are to wisely do that too. His mercy is steadier than our times and culture here.. than people or rulers here. His justice is truer, fair and right..more than any court or other judge that we know of. He is the unshakable God of compassion—“the same yesterday, today, and forever” (Heb. 13:8). And that changes everything. Come to Jesus as you are today. Here and now is good. Sure beats tomorrow or the next day. Why put this off?
God did it all and gave his best for me when he sent Jesus. That was so costly for Him. It was because He cares. Can you imagine giving up your own Son so that countless others might live? In love, Jesus gave it all when he went to and died on the cross for me. And now he meets my every need as I follow Him. People don't owe me anything and I never want to go to church or anywhere expecting to get from them, though I often receive so much care and truth from my spiritually healthy local church. I want to live on the give not on the take -- yes, live to give (first to God in worship), but give wisely.
Express gratitude to God. Listen, if you have Jesus and a handful of friends, then you are rich!
Be a friend to God and to someone in need. Sow real friendship, that kind of love in the Lord never gets old.
The Bible says, "A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother." Proverbs 18:24 kjv
I Say Live To Give Instead of To Get from Others Cuz That Would Be Lame.
There indeed is a time to give (without any expectations, ploys, or stings attached) and there is a time to freely receive a gift. Life here is about giving and receiving. In fact, real life that lasts starts when we receive (instead of try to earn) God's free gift of Eternal life in Jesus Christ.
"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things came into being through Him...12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name, 13 who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of a man, but of God. The Word Made Flesh 14 And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us; and we saw His glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth." John 1:1-14 nasb emph mine.
Way too many people live on the take, sadly even in marriages and families. How weird is that! There are too many scams and swindlers who are out to deceive just to gain from others in these (last) days. There are too many scam calls and pickpockets out there too. I could go on. Yeah, that's what the worldly folk and their corrupt worldly system are all about. That: "Get all you can, can all you get and then sit on the can." mentality and lifestyle. Don't be like them. Choose to live like and follow Jesus.
Imagine a love so deep, so relentless, that it would give up everything—even a Son—to save the undeserving. That’s exactly what God did. John 3:16 declares it plainly: “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” The word “gave” here isn't casual. It means He handed Jesus over—to suffer, to be rejected, to die. Why? Because He cares.
Romans 8:32 builds on this staggering truth: “He who did not spare His own Son, but gave Him up for us all—how will He not also, along with Him, graciously give us all things?” God didn’t hold back. He gave His very best so that countless others could live. That’s the gospel: God went all in.
Can you imagine what it cost? Would you give up your own child for the sake of rebels? God did. And the number of lives transformed is beyond counting. As of 2025, over 2.6 billion people worldwide profess some form of faith in Christ. Millions have been rescued from spiritual death because of one sacrifice—His.
Jesus didn’t come to improve our lives; He came to give us life. Eternal life. Abundant life. “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full” (John 10:10). He gave everything—His body, His blood, His breath. On the cross, He cried, “It is finished” (John 19:30), because nothing was left undone. Every sin was paid for. Every need, ultimately met.
So now what? How do we live in response to a love like that?
We stop demanding and start delighting. We don’t walk into church with a consumer mindset but with a worshiper’s heart. We don’t view others as obligated to meet our emotional, social, or spiritual needs. Instead, we see ourselves as already filled—and free to serve.
Paul said in Acts 20:35, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” That’s not just a nice slogan. It’s a gospel truth. Jesus gave all. We now live to give—not to earn favor, but because we have favor. Not because we’re empty, but because we’re full.
Yes, a spiritually healthy church can be a deep well of truth, love, and community—and that’s a gift. But our calling isn’t to live on the take. Our calling is to overflow. Our hearts should echo the words of David in Psalm 23:5, “My cup overflows.”
And overflow is meant for others. There is a care that will share!
We have bad news. All have sinned and that must be addressed by confession and repentance. Free forgiveness is available in the Lord if you'll admit it and quit it. Have you received the Good News and Jesus, get out in the world and share Him. Spread the Good News.
So we live to give—first to God in wholehearted worship, and then wisely to those around us. Not in burnout, but in balance. Not with bitterness, but with joy. We give wisely because love isn’t foolish—it’s intentional. Our generosity flows from our identity in Christ, not from guilt or pressure.
This corrupt world is full of takers. Many lie and cheat daily. We see them almost on every street corner, even though this panhandling is illegal here. But the cross calls us to be honest, hardworking, and wise givers. The best kind of life is not one clinging to, or grasping for more..for self.. but one poured out in worship, in selfless service, and love. We love Him because He first loved us. Jesus held nothing back. It was about pleasing the Father and it was about properly representing Him here. It was about others in need. How could we hold back if He directs us to go?
Let your life be an obedient response to His life and Person: full of grace and truth (with no spiritual compromise or excuses). Yes, overflowing with love by His Spirit, and anchored in the solid truth that God gave His best—for you and for me. Now go and do the same. Let's give Him our best. Let's give as He leads. Live for Jesus 100% and to give to others as He leads you to. God will bless that. He will use you to win people to Jesus. That attitude and lifestyle will make an impact!
