To be loved…

As a girl, I was obsessed with beauty. And so, that meant I became obsessed with the glamour of classic movie stars, like Rita Hayworth. When I was a teen, I did a research paper on her. From my research, I learned that, despite her beautiful and glamorous image, she was unhappy with her life so much of the time. The star of the classic film, “Gilda,” sadly, was quoted, saying…

“Every man I knew went to bed with Gilda…and woke up with me.”

As this young girl, I bought into her beautiful image, believing her life to be perfect. Not true, in fact. No matter how many films she made, how famous or beautiful she was, she was still longing for something more…

“All I wanted was what everyone else wants, you know, to be loved.”

Recently, I came across some information on her and I was struck again, by this sad statement. I started thinking. Perhaps the fixation on beauty, on image, on being thin, even, could all be traced back to one spiritual desire: to be loved. Do we equate beauty with love? Do we equate being pleasing and being accepted with love? Do we believe the lie that if we just look a certain way, then life will be perfect?

Each of us needs to remember we’re accepted, loved and beautiful already by a wonderful God Who created us.

“The LORD hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee.”
Jeremiah 31:3

How about calling that Truth forward the next time we’re bemoaning our appearance? How about spending our thoughts, time and energy believing that the beauty already rests on us?

“And let the beauty of the LORD our God be upon us...”
Psalms 90:17

There’s nothing more we need to do to be both beautiful and loved…

“Since you were precious in my sight… I have loved you…”
Isaiah 43:4

You and I are just as beautiful, just as loved as the most beautiful, most glamorous movie star. No matter who we are, what we do, He sees us as precious.

Therefore, there’s no need for us to try “to be loved.” We already are.