A reflection on grace, self-worth, and the armor of God

“Do you love Me?” Alice asked.

“No, I don’t love you!” replied the White Rabbit.

Alice frowned and clasped her hands together as she did whenever she felt hurt.

“See?” replied the White Rabbit. “Now you’re going to start asking yourself what makes you so imperfect and what did you do wrong so that I can’t love you at least a little.”

“You know, that’s why I can’t love you. You will not always be loved, Alice. There will be days when others are tired and bored with life, will have their heads in the clouds, and will hurt you. Because people are like that—somehow they always end up hurting each other’s feelings, whether through carelessness, misunderstanding, or conflict within themselves.”

“If you don’t love yourself, at least a little, if you don’t create an armor of self-love and happiness around your heart, the feeble little heart of yours will bleed out. The world will not stop for your grief, Alice. The world does not have time to deal with its own chaos and yours too.”

There’s something hauntingly honest about this fictional conversation. And while the world may call it self-love, I’d call it something deeper—knowing who you are in Christ.

The enemy would love nothing more than for you to keep replaying the moments you weren’t chosen, weren’t loved, weren’t seen. He wants you to stay questioning your value. He wants you to feel like Alice—clutching your hands, wondering what’s wrong with you.

But the gospel doesn’t leave us there.

You will be overlooked by people.

But you are not overlooked by God.

You will be hurt.

But you are not without healing.

You will have days where love feels absent.

But grace will still be present.

We aren’t called to armor ourselves with self-made strength, but with the armor of God (Ephesians 6).

We aren’t told to be self-sufficient, but to be rooted and grounded in the love of Christ (Ephesians 3:17).

We don’t need the world’s applause—we need to remember whose we are.

You are beloved.

You are known.

You are called.

And when people forget to love you, God doesn’t.

He never has.

So today, put on your armor—not of self-love, but of grace and truth.

Let it protect the tender places. Let it remind you who you are.

Because the world may not always love you…

but your Savior already died to prove He does.