When you type “Why does God” into Google, the third-highest search is “Why does God hate me?” In fact, that question is five spots higher than the question, “Why does God love us?” 

It’s clear that there are a lot of people who are hurting and wondering if the Creator of the universe hates them. Luckily, the Bible is clear that God does not hate you. He loves you so much more than you could ever imagine or comprehend. 

So, why do so many people assume that God hates them? And what’s the truth?

Why do people think God hates them?

• They’ve experienced church hurt.

Church hurt is real, and when people experience it, sometimes they believe that God wants to hurt them just like those in the church did. If you think that God wants to hurt you, it can be easy to slip down into believing that God might even hate you. 

• They’re experiencing a time of darkness.

In times of darkness or hardship, it can be easy to believe that God has abandoned you. You may even believe that God put trials and tribulations into your life because you deserve them for some reason or another. 

• They’re striving to be perfect all the time.

None of us are perfect, but many of us think that we can and should be. Perfectionism has been on the rise for years, and it comes with consequences. 

If we believe that we must live up to a standard of moral perfection and sinlessness, we’re constantly going to be disappointed — we might even hate ourselves. This can lead down a path of believing that God is disappointed in us as well or even that He might hate us. 

• They dislike a part of themselves.

If we dislike or hate something about ourselves, it makes sense that we would also believe other people dislike or hate that thing about us. Maybe it’s something as simple as our hairstyle. Or, maybe it’s something as deep as who we are at our core.  

If you feel like you’ve disappointed yourself or you haven’t lived up to who you should be, it makes sense that you might believe that you’ve also disappointed God or that He hates you. Luckily, that’s not true. Let’s take a look at what the Bible says about God’s relationship with us. 

Does God actually hate us?

No, God does not hate us — the Bible is clear that God loves each of us more than we can understand. Here are a few things that the Bible says about God’s relationship with each of us:

• God loves us, even though we are sinners.

Every single one of us is a sinner. Luckily, there’s no amount of sin that can separate us from God’s love and desire to have a relationship with us. Romans 5:8 (ESV) says, “But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

God doesn’t tolerate us or view us as a nuisance. He sees us as His chosen people whom He values a close, intimate relationship with. In fact, He loved us so much that He sent Jesus Christ to die on the cross for our sins so that we could have a relationship with Him. 

• God is always with us.

Even though we might feel like God hates us or is mad at us, the Bible says differently. Stories of God’s love and desire for our hearts are woven through the Bible’s pages. We should pursue God with a spirit of courage and hunger for His Word.

Joshua 1:9 (ESV) says, “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

• God has a plan for our life. 

Psalm 147 tells us that God knows precisely how many stars are in the sky — in fact, He knows them all by name. God has more knowledge than we could ever comprehend or understand, yet He still cares deeply for us. He has a plan for each of our lives, even when we might not know what that plan looks like.

Jeremiah 29:11 (ESV) says, “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.”