Is It Bad If I Don't Love God Yet?

In the world of religion, there is a massive amount of performance and expectation. People often pretend to feel things for God that they don’t actually feel because they think it’s what they are “supposed” to do. They force themselves to say the right words and act like they are overflowing with love for God. If you are currently sitting at home feeling spiritually numb, detached, or even wondering, “Is it bad if I don’t love God yet?”—I want to give you some real peace. You are not doing anything wrong, and you are not disqualified from having a relationship with Him. The relationship between you and God belongs strictly to you and Him. No one else gets to tell you how you are supposed to feel—or what you are supposed to feel. Whatever you feel—or don’t feel—right now is completely fine with God. Don’t worry about what outsiders think.


The Pressure to Love God Before You’re Ready

Recently, I faced firsthand how defensive people get when you refuse to fake your feelings for God. I was invited to be a guest on a podcast, and during the pre-interview call, the host and I were having a great conversation. I told her my exact story—how I didn't grow up in church, how I ended up going through a demonic possession out of defiance, and how learning to call out straight to God completely set me free. She loved the story. She was completely intrigued. But then, deeper into the conversation, I looked her in the eye (over the phone) and said the raw truth: I don't love God. Immediately, the entire atmosphere changed. The line went completely silent for what felt like forever. With intense disappointment, she asked me if she heard me right. In total disbelief, she told me, "When I look at how Jesus died on the cross for me, the love just comes pouring out of me. How can you not love Him?" My answer was simple: "Because I'm not there yet. I'll get there when I get there. Until I do, I won't pretend that I do." That woman sat in judgment of my timeline. She wanted me to fit into her religious box. But God doesn’t expect that of me. He’s fine with where I am.


Can You Build a Relationship With God If You Don’t Love Him Yet?

Religion teaches people what they "owe" God before they even know who He is. It often creates the expectation of instant emotional transformation. But a real relationship doesn't work like a quick fix. Think about how you connect and grow with anyone else in your life. You can’t love someone you don't know yet. And you can’t know someone you don’t spend regular quality time with. I have been at this for a long time and I still don’t love God yet. I have grown to deeply like and respect Him. He is a great guy and He has changed my life. But love? Nah, I’m just not there yet. And you know what? God is completely okay with that. He’s not judging me or rushing my process.


Does God Condemn You If You Are Struggling to Love Him? After that judgmental phone call, God made something perfectly clear to me. My lack of love didn't change His actions toward me at all. He told me He isn’t judging me. He is still using me for this ministry, still teaching me, and still helping me grow spiritually. His love for me is not conditional on my performance or love for Him. He loves me right now, today, exactly as I am. And He will do the same thing for you. He will meet you exactly where you are. You don't have to feel a sudden, dramatic rush of emotion to be accepted by Him. If all you have right now is basic curiosity, that is more than enough to begin. God will meet you exactly where you are without a single ounce of pressure, guilt, or judgment. You will grow to love Him when you get there—not a moment before.


Listen to the podcast for this episode: I Don’t Love God Yet—But He Still Loves Me


Baby Steps with Christ: Free Resources for New Believers

• Join the Community: Are you tired of religious pressure and expectations? Do you want to start building a real, honest, and genuine relationship with God at your own pace? If you answered yes, come join my 100% free community on Skool. That’s where I created my Kindergarten for Faith course. It’s a pressure-free space where you can connect with like-minded people who are also starting their journeys. It’s a place where it’s okay if you don’t love God yet. Come just as you are.


• Listen & Follow: Catch the Baby Steps with Christ Podcast on your favorite audio platform to hear more raw stories from my personal journey.


• Deepen Your Growth: Grab my book, Dear New Believer, Love God on Amazon or get the PDF version and its companion Study Guide on my website.


• Visit BabyStepsWithChrist.com to access all our free, no-obligation resources. Keep taking those small, intentional baby steps with Christ!

Why Baby Steps with Christ Exists

January 27, 2026
For a long time, I believed that knowing God meant checking the right boxes — church attendance, Bible reading, tithing, saying the right words, believing the right things. I assumed that if I wasn’t doing those things, I was doing Christianity wrong. But the truth is, God never asked those things of me. He wasn’t looking for performance. He was asking for relationship. Baby Steps with Christ was created for people who want to know God personally — without pressure, guilt, or religious prerequisites. This space is about knowing God, not learning religion. This isn’t about telling you not to attend church, read the Bible, or tithe. It’s about removing the belief that those things are required in order to know God. God is not impressed by your church attendance. He isn’t angry if you don’t go. He isn’t judging you by how often you read the Bible. He isn’t disappointed if you don’t know it at all. And He isn’t frowning upon you if you aren’t tithing. He cares about you. And He wants a relationship with you. This space is for people who want to: Know God personally, not just conceptually Learn to recognize God’s voice Let go of religious performance Build a relationship with God that’s honest and real Why I Created Baby Steps with Christ My journey with God was filled with confusion, missteps, doubt, and learning the hard way — often about things church and religion never taught me. This space is what I wish I had when I was learning how to walk with God for myself. No pressure. No judgment. No religious checklist. Just honest baby steps toward a real relationship. If you’re curious about God, that’s enough to begin. If you want to hear more about my journey — or you’re ready to start taking your own baby steps—you can listen to my podcast Baby Steps with Christ wherever you listen to podcasts. You can also find my award-winning book, Dear New Believer, Love God , on Amazon. For more resources on building a relationship with God at your own pace — without a middleman and without pressure — visit babystepswithchrist.com .