Text by Inah De Guia Tolentino
Read:
Song of Solomon 1:6 (NASB)
Do not stare at me because I am dark,
For the sun has tanned me.
My mother’s sons were angry with me;
They made me caretaker of the vineyards,
But I have not taken care of my own vineyard.
Reflect:
There was a longstanding joke amongst my friends in my youth.
They say that my voice is like Ruffa Guttierrez’s, Ms. World. My smile? Mikee Conjuangco, an heiress and athlete. My eyes? Sylvester Stallone, a Hollywood superstar.
My overall look-alike? Vic Sotto, a male comedian.
Shout out to my bully friends whose jokes finally made it to my content (wink, wink).
You see, I would always pick on myself and my flaws that everyone else picks on that, too. Yet beyond my insecurity for my physicality, I felt really revolting on the inside. I felt unworthy and unlovable – not unlike our bride at the beginning of the story.
She felt sure that people would judge her for her color. She felt the need to explain why she looks so dark, which conveys how conscious she was of it. She sounded like a hard worker, taking care of everyone else’s business but neglecting her own.
Yet, the Groom is utterly smitten by her. He refers to her as “most beautiful among women”.
“How beautiful you are, my darling,
How beautiful you are!
Your eyes are like doves.”
Throughout the book of Song of Solomon, he keeps praising her beauty. He even used poetry to describe how enamored he is of her. Words seem insufficient to describe her love and awe of his bride.
Are they even referring to the same person?
You see, without love, we see things differently. We become short-sighted. When we lack self-love, we only can see our flat chest or our big belly, our temper tantrums and our shortcomings. We tend to hate ourselves for it. Without unconditional love, we may see our children as problems to be solved or nuisances to a clean and relaxing home. Without passion, we see our work as a means for income, and not a ministry to the Lord. Without affection, our partners become mere annoyance and not the gift from heaven that he or she is.
On the contrary, love gives us a different vision. Much like the Groom in this book, our God sees beyond all that we are at the moment. He finds us admirable, delightful, even desirable.
Don’t believe the cliché that love is blind. In fact, it’s the complete opposite of being blind.
Love makes us see. It makes us see the glory that is yet to come. It is what makes us see beyond someone’s flaws and failures. It enables us to forgive and move forward regardless of how dreadful things look at the moment.
Love doesn’t make us beautiful… but it certainly makes us see beauty.
Respond:
When you feel overwhelmed by the ugliness there is in the world, remind yourself that God gave His only Son for its salvation.
When you feel unlovely and undesirable, remember how God already chose you to be His own. He didn’t make a mistake choosing you. Warts, belly, and all… He loves you.
So fix your hair, straighten those shoulders, and smile. Let’s share this love with others today, shall we?
Inah is a mother, a wife, a world traveler, a trainer, a public speaking coach, a writer, and a legit lipstick hoarder. She's passionate about sharing the gospel to people from around the globe. She gets to do that by working in international companies that employ people from very diverse cultures. She loves that the Word of God is always alive and true. She believes that the Bible is a narrative of His promises fulfilled - the same promises that still ring true to our lives today.
AUTHOR: INAH DE GUIA TOLENTINO