Many of us are disconnected from our true selves, the person God created us to be. We sense it emotionally, inside us, and relationally, as we interact with others. But we’re not sure why. We’re also not sure how to change it.

Do you believe your life has value? When you look in a mirror, how do you see yourself? How does it influence the way you relate to yourself? How do you treat yourself? Is it with criticism, or is it with love and kindness?

Notice how the psalmist talks with God — with passion, specificity, and emotion. Yes, that’s right, full emotion. There’s nothing placid or stoic about his expressions, questions, or intonations. So I’m wondering why do we sanitize ours? Why do we pray politely?

So often it seems we opt for the safe life. One we can control. Appear successful in. Convince others we belong. But things don’t always work out the way we plan. We can feel less than, left out, or wounded. If this happens, we can also experience something else — the longing for something more.

God is with us. He personally knows us. Not from distance, but with us. This means we’re not combating the circumstances or questions in our life on our own. That’s how we begin to think when we’re looking down. The psalmist is convinced God knows us 100 percent.