Choosing Praise Over Striving

Last week, we saw Leah and her anxious attachment. She sought attention and connection but always seemed to fall short. Let’s see what happens next. In Genesis 29:35, we read, “She conceived again, and when she gave birth to a son she said, ‘This time I will praise the Lord.’ So, she named him Judah. Then she stopped having children.” Leah had a revelation—she finally knew the truth and understood what she had been missing. She was done trying to be seen, heard, and connected.

Many of us have felt like Leah—tired, frustrated, confused—because we thought we did everything right, but everything still went wrong. Perhaps it’s not at all what it seems. Maybe the best thing God does for us is to close doors, to keep us out of certain relationships, or to say “not yet” to dreams. It’s possible that God allowing people to ignore you is a good thing. Or maybe the fact that God isolated you for a season is your greatest blessing. Maybe you were isolated for a reason. Only when we reach that point of desperation can we say, “God, I realize You are my only hope. This time, I will praise the Lord.”

Genesis 29:31 says, “When the Lord saw that Leah was not loved, he enabled her to conceive, but Rachel remained childless.” God was paying attention to Leah when it seemed no one else was. He knew her pain. He feels the same about us. He knows what we long for, and He will provide. Leah named her last son Judah—which means praise—but it also comes from the Hebrew word yadah, meaning “to throw something away.”

She finally understood that God loved and accepted her, so she could toss out the need for Jacob to see, hear, and connect with her. She stopped wearing herself out hoping to feel loved. Instead, she threw herself into a life of love and acceptance with God.

Now, let’s do a little self-reflection. Do you need to throw something away? Is there something you are trying to make happen, but it isn’t working? Are you carrying burdens because of how others treat you? Do you have anxious attachments that leave you weary? May this be the day we throw away our anxious attachments and throw ourselves into a life of love and acceptance with God.