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How to Know God

Do you ever wonder what Christians believe? Who Jesus is, what he did and why it matters? Get answers to these questions and more.

Spiritual Growth

Take the next step in your faith journey with resources on prayer, devotionals and other tools for personal and spiritual growth.

Life & Relationships

Explore resources to help you live out your life and relationships in a way that honors God.

Bible Studies

Find resources for personal or group Bible study.

Share the Gospel

Learn to develop your skills, desire and ability to join others on their spiritual journeys and take them closer to Jesus.

Help Others Grow

Help others in their faith journey through discipleship and mentoring.

Leadership Training

Develop your leadership skills and learn how to launch a ministry wherever you are.

Video

Browse videos designed to help you grow spiritually, share your faith, and lead others well.

Language Resources

View our top Cru resources in more than 20 languages.

Quizzes & Assessments

Have some fun taking various quizzes and assessments to learn about yourself and others.

Campus

Helping students know Jesus, grow in their faith and go to the world to tell others.

City

Reflecting Jesus together for the good of the city.

Inner City

Partnering with urban churches to meet physical and spiritual needs.

Athletes

Striving to see Christ-followers on every team, in every sport and in every nation.

Families

Equipping families with practical approaches to parenting and marriage.

High School

Reaching students and faculty in middle and high school.

Military

Bringing hope and resources to military families worldwide.

Locate Cru Near You

Explore Cru's global presence and discover how you can get involved in communities worldwide.

Events

Whether you're interested in conferences or local gatherings, there's an opportunity for you. Explore upcoming events and find your place to serve and grow.

Mission Trips

Explore domestic and global mission trips with Cru—serve, grow, and make an eternal impact. Opportunities for students, families, and professionals.

Internships

Explore Cru's internship opportunities—serve globally or locally, develop your skills, and make an eternal impact. Apply today!

Careers

Explore full- and part-time ministry careers with Cru—use your skills to impact eternity. Apply today!

Volunteer

Explore volunteer opportunities with Cru and use your skills to impact lives for eternity.

International

Explore global mission opportunities with Cru—serve, grow, and make an eternal impact.

What We Do

How we seek to journey together with everyone towards a relationship with Jesus.

Donor Relations

Answers to questions on donations, financial policies, Cru’s annual report and more.

Our Leadership

Learn about Cru's global leadership team.

Cru Partnerships

When the global church comes together then powerful things can happen.

Storylines

Showing God in action in and through His people.

Press

Access Cru's latest news releases, media contacts, and background information on our global ministries and leadership.

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Why Is True Love So Hard to Find?

Everyone comes into the world unable to do even simple tasks.

The moment you were born, you were totally dependent on others. As you grow and mature, a major part of your development is learning how to meet your own needs and do things for yourself.

No matter how much you grow, there is one basic need that you and I will never be able to meet on our own: the need for relationship.

I consider myself pretty independent, so needing to rely on someone else is exceptionally hard. Being vulnerable enough to allow another person to meet my relational needs can be challenging, but building a wall to protect myself from relationships is worse in the long term.

The Importance of Relationships

As J. Ronald Lally and Peter Mangione explain in their article, “Caring Relationships: The Heart of Early Brain Development,” published in Young Children, the need for attachment to others is necessary not only to a person’s future social and relational success but also to vital brain development.

The need for a relationship seems to be hard-wired into us.

As adults, we no longer need to be as close to our mother or primary caregiver to feel safe and secure, but we all still have a deep need for connection with others. We all desire to be fully known and fully loved by others just as we are.

If relationships are such an important part of our health, then why can they be so hard? Why do so many headlines declare that loneliness has become an epidemic in this generation?

The Search for Love

People can spend their lives looking for love from one person that they think will fulfill them. That love will meet their needs, satisfy their desires and give them a reason for living.

The problem is that it can’t be found in another imperfect, broken person who also has needs to be met.

The reason so many people never find the kind of love they’re looking for is because they are looking for it in the wrong places. Your relational needs were never meant to be fully met by other people.

While you are designed to thrive through relationships with others, the deepest need anyone has is a relationship with God. He made you to be loved by Him — in the perfect way that only He can love you.

God knows everything about you — the depths of your shame, pain and wrongdoing — and He still fully and perfectly loves you. He loves you so much that He would sacrifice everything just to have a relationship with you.

Experiencing this kind of love has changed my life. The security of knowing God loves you, no matter what, allows you to be more open to relationships. You may not be able to see God or hear Him in a physical way, but you can “hear” Him on a spiritual and emotional level that gives you confidence and peace.

Have you been let down by relationships with others? Do you long to be fully known, accepted and loved by someone? If God is real and could love you like this, would you want a relationship with Him?

Learn more about how to start a relationship with God and experience God’s transformational love.

Since 1951, Cru has helped individuals who grapple with integrating faith into daily life by offering practical steps and community support. As a result, countless people in over 190 countries have been empowered to move from passive belief to active faith.