Do you ever whisper to yourself, “I just want to be loved?” I certainly have.
In our deepest selves—where we are fragile, vulnerable, and tender—we all hope someone will pursue us just as we are. Not fancy or cleaned up; not prim and proper. Just us. In every season, our great longing is to be accepted and seen as significant. So, when rejection tries to steal the true identity God intended for us, we’re often left wondering if we had any value to begin with. It appears as if no one wants us, our baggage, or our brokenness.
Time and time again the lies of exclusion knock on our hearts, hoping we’ll open the door—lies that whisper in the quiet moments that we aren’t attractive enough, skinny enough, smart enough, accomplished enough, or good enough. To feel dishonored as a grown woman only reiterates and confirms any feelings of rejection that have lingered through our lives. Like the woman at the well, we need Jesus, who does not pass over or ignore us. Like the woman at the well, we need affirmation that we are entitled to love and abundant life in Christ. And like the woman at the well, we need the true Messiah who knows our life story and looks to extend grace and dignity to us.
Dear friend, Jesus is not put off by our patterns in relationships or life or our feelings of rejection. It’s Jesus Himself who restores honor, dignity, and value to our hearts.
Adapted from the six-week Bible study Never Alone: 6 Encounters with Jesus to Heal Your Deepest Hurts, Tiffany Bluhm, Ó 2018 by Abingdon Press. All rights reserved.