Have you ever been at a party, surrounded by a group of people (many of them who you know), and yet you still feel lonely? Quite a few of us are saturated in the area of relationships, yet we still feel alone. When we’re in this position, it’s easy to wonder what’s wrong with us and to label ourselves as being out of touch or depressed, but this may not be the case. The reality is that our greatest need as human beings is not just to have a lot of relationships, but rather to be truly known. 

I’ve said this many times, but apart from the obvious things like food, water, and shelter, the greatest human need is to bond deeply with others. Another way of saying it is that our deepest and most fundamental yearning is to be seen and loved. Many of us do things to make ourselves more attractive to other people. We get our hair done, learn things, and make an effort to be funny or charming. However, what tends to happen when we put great emphasis on the external is we begin to wonder if anyone really knows us. When we constantly put our best foot forward, it’s easy to develop unconscious feelings of embarrassment or shame about the things we feel would be rejected if exposed. From there, we split the bad parts of ourselves off from the good and buy into the lie that we must be all good in order to be accepted.

Friend, the gift of being in Jesus is that you are seen, known and accepted! There is nothing you have ever done or ever could do that He has not already redeemed and taken care of. Even though you have struggles, you can bring them into His light with an understanding that there is no condemnation. As you move forward in relationships with Him and with others, you can do so with the confident assurance that you are already accepted. You are never alone and you are loved completely, just the way you are! Isn’t that wonderful news?