Treasured: Every Woman's Desire
Treasured. This word, this concept has taken up residency in my heart and mind recently. What I'm discovering is that it has always been there. Even more, it was purposefully knitted into the fabric of my being from my beginning.
"you knit me together..." Psalm 139:13
Do you feel it? The deep desire to be treasured? Maybe you have not allowed yourself to acknowledge it, but I believe it's there. Perhaps it has been pushed aside or pushed down, buried beneath a dangerous belief;
I don't deserve to be treasured. I am not worthy of that kind of love. I'm no treasure.
I see most women afraid to acknowledge the desire to be treasured because we don't believe we are worth it. After all, if we hold out for that kind of love we run the risk of disappointment or worse- never being loved at all.
But it's there; it's our question we want to ask, "Am I beautiful? Am I worth your pursuit and sacrifice?" That's why every good love story has a woman to be rescued by a man who will stop at nothing to have her.
treasured- keep carefully, cherish, hold dear, place great value on, esteem, adore, prize, be devoted to, love dearly, dote on, keep safe, value highly
We have all felt the opposite; being taken for granted, ignored, betrayed, overlooked. Perhaps even abused. But we were created for more.
Christ is the example for us as the groom for his church, his bride. For the joy before him he endured the cross. We are his dearly loved treasures. He pursues us not out of obligation or duty, but out of his love for us. We don't have to perform or earn his favor.
I want to be treasured. I want someone who will fight for my honor, who will climb every mountain and cross every ocean just to be with me. I want to be protected, desired, and valued. I am certain that you do too. It's who we are.
There was a time when I didn't believe I was enough, a time when I didn't believe I was worth being cherished and adored. Out of that belief, I worked really hard to earn it. Out of that belief, I exhausted myself trying harder, yet always feeling like I should be more and do more.
Believing that I am already enough in the eyes of Jesus changed it all. Believing that I am his treasure, dearly loved and pursued at all cost, changed every other relationship in my life. I stopped looking for my worth in the eyes of people; even my husband at the time. The compulsion to perform, to earn the acceptance and praise of people faded away.
Living life believing I am treasured by God opened my heart to treasure others, to give grace and mercy when it didn't make sense. Believing that I am worthy in God's eyes allowed me to see others as worthy of compassion and forgiveness.
But hear this, please. Because I believe that I am already loved and worthy to my Father, I understand the kind of love he desires for me from a man. If I am my Father's dearly loved treasure, I know the man he has for me will treasure me as well.
A year or so after I found myself alone, after twenty-two years of marriage, I began to allow myself to ask God for someone who would cherish me. I prayed for a Boaz, believing that my Father wanted me to be highly valued, kept safe, pursued. Treasured.
It would have been easy after what I had walked through to feel less than, discarded, unworthy of love. It would have been easy to settle for less than what God wanted for me. Believing that I was worthy in God's eyes helped me not to give in to fear, desperation, or doubt.
When we don't believe the truth of who we are, we begin to believe who the enemy says we are not. He will always tell us we are not enough, not worthy, not beautiful, not lovable.
The truth is that you are treasured. Right now, in all your imperfections, in the midst of your mess, pounds away from your ideal weight, ten therapy sessions away from your ideal anything.
You are treasured.
I was loved by someone who was broken, who did not fully believe he was treasured, enough. I didn't know what I didn't know. I didn't know what it looked like or felt like to be loved by someone whole and healthy. Maybe that's you. If it is, I am sorry. My heart hurts for you.
In the midst of my world crumbling I chose to believe that God would work it all together for my good. I chose to believe that he had hope and a future for me, that he was not done writing my story. I believe that for you too.
He's still writing your story and no matter where you are in that story, you are his beautiful treasure. He can do more than you ask or imagine. Do you believe that? Do you believe that you are already loved, already enough, already worthy?
If you are alone, longing to be loved, will you wait for someone who treasures you? You are beautiful. You are loved. You are a treasure.
Listen, daughter, and pay careful attention; Forget the people and your father's house. Let the king be enthralled by your beauty; honor him for he is your lord. Psalm 45:10-11