God Is Love: 5 Attributes That Show Us This Truth

God is love. And many attributes of God prove this to be true. The children in our child sponsorship program, like Maribel, know these attributes and see them in action every day.

Little Maribel was ecstatic when she heard Compassion was adding classrooms to the small church where her child sponsorship program is located in Bolivia. When asked why that meant so much to her, Maribel said, “We are learning more than before. We like learning about God and how he loves us.”

When children join Compassion’s program, they start to understand who God is and what he’s like. But learning about the attributes of God isn’t just for children. It’s for us too!

“God is love” (1 John 4:8, NIV). He’s the definition of love, and his affection is unconditional. He both generates and demonstrates love that endures forever (Psalm 100:5). Let’s consider a few of God’s other attributes that demonstrate his love for us.

What's Here:

• God Is Always Present
• God Is Just
• God Is Faithful
• God Is Good
• God Is Sovereign
• God’s Love Is Unfailing

God Is Always Present

Jesus said, “Surely I am with you always” (Matthew 28:20, NIV). Paul wrote that God’s Spirit lives in us (1 Corinthians 3:16). And in the Psalms, David proclaimed it impossible to escape God’s presence (Psalm 139).

In other words, the Creator is not bound by his creation. He is fully present wherever we go, and his Spirit even lives inside us. As Hebrews 4:13, NIV says, “Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight.”

Knowing this means so much for believers, especially those of us facing difficulties. For sponsored children facing the pain and isolation of poverty, they learn that no matter who they are or where they live, God is with them. And this brings so much comfort.

Living in dark, small homes, they may spend hours alone as their parents try to earn money to care for them. Some may even have been orphaned. The knowledge that God loves them and is always with them can be life-changing. It can be life-changing for you too!

God Is Just

Scripture declares over and over that all God’s ways are just (Deuteronomy 32:4). And the Psalmist wrote, “The Lord loves righteousness and justice” (Psalm 33:5, NIV).

God’s holiness and righteousness mean his judgments are always fair. We see this shown fully in the life of Jesus, who confronted the Pharisees over how they neglected justice and weren’t generous toward the poor (Luke 11:42).

Because God is just, the Bible insists that his children should be like him and make right what is wrong. “Learn to do right; seek justice,” the Lord told Isaiah in a vision. “Defend the oppressed. Take up the cause of the fatherless; plead the case of the widow” (Isaiah 1:17, NIV).

We take this call seriously, and that’s why we join with the worldwide Church to seek justice for the suffering and the vulnerable. You are part of this effort too! We can all advocate for children, to fight the injustices that have left so many in poverty. We join these efforts because we serve a God who is just.

God Is Faithful

At the heart of all God’s actions in our world is his faithfulness. This means he keeps his promises. Scripture applies those promises to countless parts of our lives, from his promise to protect us from temptation (1 Corinthians 10:13) to his promise to forgive our sins (1 John 1:9).

God’s faithfulness is never temporary but endures forever, “through all generations” (Psalm 119:90, NIV). As followers of Christ and child advocates, we take enormous comfort in this faithfulness, partly because many of his promises are relevant to our ministry.

He promises to bless those who give (Deuteronomy 15:10). The Bible says, “A generous person will prosper” (Proverbs 11:25, NIV), and kindness to the poor will be rewarded (Proverbs 19:17).

But God’s faithfulness extends beyond any earthly transactions. It also applies to our eternal hope and his promise of a coming kingdom. We may live in an unreliable and untrustworthy world, but we serve a faithful God who keeps his word.

God Is Good

God’s goodness is one of the most significant attributes of God — one that informs all the others. The Bible describes this trait in a variety of ways, using words like “kindness” (Romans 2:4, NIV) or “compassionate and gracious” (Exodus 34:6, NIV).

When the rich young ruler called Jesus “good teacher,” Jesus replied that no one was truly good “except God alone” (Mark 10:18, NIV). Reflecting on this attribute, the Psalmist invited us to “taste and see that the Lord is good” (Psalm 34:8, NIV).

God is also the source of goodness. For the children we serve, that goodness provides security. We know as believers that God “works for the good of those who love him” (Romans 8:28, NIV). This comforts believers no matter where they live, from families enduring the trials of poverty to those facing illnesses, lost jobs or uncertain futures.

Many of the families we serve may struggle to find food or water. They may battle chronic illness. But in the face of desperate circumstances, they remember that God is good. His kindness gives them hope. Through our work and the generosity of sponsors, these families can tangibly taste of his goodness.

God Is Sovereign

“Sovereignty” is a big word, but the idea behind it — that God is in control and that nothing in our lives happens outside his knowledge or permission — brings great comfort to those of us going through hard times.

God oversees the natural world (Job 37). He cultivates national rulers (Daniel 2:21). He even directs our steps (Jeremiah 10:23).

Power alone isn’t necessarily a source of comfort. But with God, that power rests in the hands of a loving Father. Not only does he want what is best for his children, but he also knows and understands human suffering — because his son, Jesus, endured it.

And God promises to deliver his children from their fears and afflictions: “This poor man called, and the Lord heard him; he saved him out of all his troubles” (Psalm 34:6, NIV).

God’s Love Is Unfailing

Understanding the attributes of God doesn’t just help us know him better. They help us achieve our full potential in him!

When we grasp that God is love and that love is unfailing, we live differently. His love for us informs everything we do as believers. And in our ministry at Compassion, it informs how we care for children living in poverty.

It’s our goal to love children the same way God loves them: unconditionally and faithfully.