God sees the unloved
As humans, it is so easy for us to fall into the trap that we need to be validated by other humans. We become fixated on getting the approval from a romantic partner, from our boss, even trying to fit into our family and friend’s circle. Some of us change who we are, diminish our light. Others work overtime to show that we are irreplaceable. But most of the time this doesn’t work, and if it does it’s because we have completely changed who we are and are no longer the person God created us to be.
Growing up, when I read Leah’s story in the Bible, I always saw her as the antagonist. Why would she ruin her younger sister’s fairytale romance story? But as I get older, and have lived a bit more life, I realise that she was a victim to her circumstances and to the times. Forced to marry a man who didn’t want her, then to live everyday seeing the love he had for her sister.
Like us, she probably did all she could to catch his attention. Maybe she changed the way she acted, maybe she tried to change her looks. She probably did everything he asked of her and tried to be the perfect wife but that didn’t change his feelings towards her.
She was hurting. She was sad. She was stuck. But God saw that she was unloved and opened her womb.
While you are out there trying to get the attention of humans, God already sees you and values you. The real you. The person He created – quirks and all.
God sees the struggles you are going through, the pain of trying to be seen. But you need to remember that your value is found in God, not humans. It is hard, and I go back and forth every day, trying to remember that God’s opinion of me matters more than anyone else’s.
Maybe today you're waiting for someone to finally see your worth. A partner. A friend. A parent. A boss. Someone whose approval you've convinced yourself will make you feel enough.
But what if you've been looking in the wrong place?
Before anyone else noticed Leah, God did. Before anyone else valued her, God did. And before anyone else sees you, God already does.
You don't have to become someone else to earn His love. You don't have to prove your worth or compete for His attention. God already knows you – all of you, the good, the bad and the ugly and He still loves you completely and you are precious to Him.
Stop measuring your worth by the opinions of people who can only see part of your story and find comfort in God, the one who sees your struggles, who sees all of you and still calls you His beloved.