You Are So Loved

Have you ever felt unloved? I know I have. All throughout my life, childhood, teen years, early adulthood and even now in middle-aged-hood, I have had moments (and if I’m being truthful, some of those moments stretch into days or weeks) of feeling unloved. Even though evidence would show that I am, in fact, loved; the feeling persists. Often, it’s connected to an unmet expectation. As a child I expected to get what I wanted, and it didn’t happen. Later, when friendships and relationships entered the picture, I expected someone would fill a role or void that they didn’t or couldn’t fill. Constantly sending me in a loop of feeling loved when I got what I wanted, or someone fulfilled a need or role and then unloved when it didn’t match up to my expectation. I believe Satan sees that glimmer of feeling and grabs hold and doesn’t let go. If left unchecked he will grow that feeling into a forest of thoughts that can sometimes feel hard to navigate out of, making it hard to tell what is a mirage and what is real.

The way out of the forest is by rehearsing the truth. Reminding ourselves that while feelings are good feedback, they aren’t good truth tellers. There’s a scene in the last Hunger Games
book/movie where Peeta’s mind has been corrupted and filled with lies about who he is and who Katniss is. The way he learns to overcome that, is by playing a game called “Real or Not Real”. I see this as his way of taking every thought captive. For believers that’s holding up this idea or feeling of being unloved to the light of God’s Word and asking, is this real or not real?

The passage above in Isaiah is one that has reminded me throughout my life of God’s never-ending love for me. In a world that is constantly changing and falling apart and rebuilding and uncertain, one thing remains true; “My steadfast love shall not depart from you and My covenant of peace shall not be removed”. So, I urge you, sister, whenever feelings of being unloved threaten to creep in, go back and hold that thought up to the light of God’s word. Ask God is this “real or not real” and He promises to show you the truth.

Love & Blessings,
Danielle Porter