When people ask me whether I believe in God, my response often surprises them. I tell them that, for me, God is not simply a matter of faith or belief. God is a living relationship that I experience every day.
I see God—our Creator, our Heavenly Parent, Allah—as the Parent of all humanity, not belonging to one religion, denomination, or culture. We are all members of one global family, each deeply loved and valued. No one has exclusive ownership of God because divine love embraces every person equally.
One of the greatest realisations in my life has been that God’s love is unconditional. It isn’t something we earn through perfection or lose through our mistakes. From the moment we are born, we are already loved. That love never disappears. It remains constant, patiently waiting for us to recognise it and respond.
Yet I believe many of us struggle to experience this love because we spend so much of our lives looking outside ourselves. We search for answers in achievements, opinions, possessions, or even religious rituals, while overlooking the quiet place within our own hearts where genuine connection begins.
Over time, I have come to understand that the doorway to God is found in the deepest part of our heart. When we learn to quiet our minds, listen honestly, and become present, we begin to experience a relationship that is personal, living, and transformative. It is not something reserved for special moments; it is available every day, in every conversation, every decision, and every act of love.
I do not experience God as distant or judgemental. Instead, I experience a loving Parent who longs for a genuine relationship with each of us and who patiently waits for us to discover the person we were created to become. That relationship continually challenges me to grow in compassion, humility, forgiveness, and gratitude.
As we deepen this connection, something remarkable happens. We begin to see others differently. We recognise the sacred value within every person and naturally desire to treat others with greater kindness, empathy, and respect. Our relationships become richer, our purpose becomes clearer, and our lives become expressions of the love we have received.
For me, this is what it means to know God—not simply to believe, but to live each day in a growing relationship of heart that transforms how I see myself, others, and the world.
Anne Bellavance
National President, Women’s Federation for World Peace, Australia
IFN Member
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