Yesterday when I heard that 55-year-old fashion designer and creative, Kate Spade, committed suicide, my heart broke. Sadly, there are 123 suicides that take place each day and suicide is the 10th leading cause of death in the US. My heart broke for many reasons, but mainly because here is a highly successful woman with an amazing career and from the outside looking in, she has it all. But, the truth is something on the inside was terribly wrong. Unfortunately, the grave has robbed many unfulfilled dreams and hopes.
I’ve been thinking about how important it is for us to be fully known and fully loved. I read an interesting quote the other day from Pastor Timothy Keller and it read:
“To be loved but not known is comforting, but superficial. To be known and not loved is our greatest fear. But to be fully known and truly loved is well, a lot like being loved by God. It is what we need more than anything. It liberates us from pretense, humbles us, and strengthens us for any difficulty life can throw at us.”
Our world is crying out and I believe it is harder than ever before to stay grounded in our personal values and convictions and remain authentic who we were created to be in our modern day culture. The truth is that we first and foremost need to be known and loved by Jesus and secondly, we need healthy relationships in our lives where we can be open and honest about what we are really going through.
Whether or not you recognize Him, God already knows you. The Bible says every hair on your head is accounted for. He sees it all and His love for you will never change. Whether or not your actions line up to His will and purposes for your life, His love does not change. Receive the love of God today and know that whatever you are going through is not too big for Him.
