When you have been abused, you don’t just carry the memories; you also carry the anger. That anger often comes from a deeper wound: the realization that no one stepped in to protect you when you needed it most. Silence can hurt just as much as the abuse itself.

Private rejection is painful enough, but when rejection happens publicly, it cuts even deeper. It exposes you. It makes you feel small, vulnerable, and worthless. Shame settles in, and sometimes it drives reactions that only deepen the pain; responses that make us feel worse about ourselves afterward. In those moments, a dangerous thought can creep in: “If they don’t see value in me, maybe I don’t have any.”

But hear this clearly: never allow someone else’s opinion to determine your worth. That is far too much power to give any human being.

Anyone who cannot see your value is dealing with their own limitation not yours. It only becomes your problem when you accept their view as truth. Rejection often has very little to do with who you are and everything to do with what others are incapable of seeing, hearing, or understanding. Many people reject what they cannot discern. They believe a lie, and the real danger is when we begin to believe it too.

Until you learn to care for yourself, it becomes nearly impossible to genuinely care for others. You may try to imitate love, compassion, or kindness, but deep down, the emptiness remains. We can only give to others from the well of our own self-esteem; and when that well is dry, everything feels forced.

This is why abuse is so destructive. Many abusers do not truly hate their victims; they hate themselves. That self-loathing overflows onto those closest to them. Hurt people often hurt people; not because their actions are justified, but because they are broken inside.

The Apostle Paul writes in Book of Ephesians 5:28:
“He who loves his wife loves himself.”

That verse invites a deeper question, one worth serious reflection: What happens when a person does not love himself?

The answer explains much of the pain we see in the world.

But here is the truth that stands above all others: God sees you. He knows what you’ve endured. He loves you; not conditionally, not cautiously, but completely. And He has a good and purposeful plan for your life, even after everything you’ve been through.

When you can truly accept that truth, not just hear it but believe it, your healing can begin.

You are not forgotten.
You are not worthless.
You are not defined by what was done to you.

You are seen. You are loved. And restoration is possible.

Remain blessed.