“You don’t have to prove to me that you’re beautiful to strangers.  I’ve got loving eyes of my own.”  If you’re a codger of a certain age you might recall these lines from the song written by Michael McDonald and Carly Simon.  Leaving aside the wily ways of lust, the song fastened on a plausible motivation behind a fair amount of infidelity: the insecurity of the cheater.  The middle-aged person who strays to prove they are still attractive is a cliché precisely because it is so common.

Self-doubts and feelings of inadequacy drive people to form inauthentic relationships of many kinds, not just inappropriate sexual relationships.  How much glad-handing and people-pleasing is driven by a deep insecurity about being loved? 

In the same way, how many people, lacking a sense of innate worth, seek to demonstrate their value through a pursuit of wealth or by the acquisition of luxury items that can be displayed as proof of ‘success’? 

“I don’t have enough,” is closely related to “I am not enough.”

I noticed an interesting juxtaposition in Hebrews 13:5.  You might have seen the second half of this verse cross-stitched or emblazoned on a plaque.  The second half of the verse is one of the few “red letter” quotations of Jesus that is not found in one of the four Gospels.  It quotes Jesus as saying: “I will never leave you or forsake you.” 

That’s a wonderful promise to which we should hold fast.

We might also pay attention to the context in which the author of Hebrews quotes Jesus.  This is the whole verse:

“Keep your lives free from the love of money, and be content with what you have; for as he has said, ‘I will never leave you or forsake you.’”

Why is it possible to be content?  Why is it unnecessary to heap up wealth?  Why don’t we need to prove that we’re beautiful to strangers? 

Because we are already loved fully by God Incarnate.  Because our value was proved when he laid down his life out of love for us.  Because we are held in an eternal embrace and are never alone.

Prayer:  Remind me again of your love.  Give me assurance that I have nothing to prove.  Amen.