THE NEED TO BE ENJOYED

It has been said that you see what people are made of when they struggle. While it’s true that pressure displays a person’s char- acter, there’s something equally revealing about success. Sally Fields’ speech when she won her second Oscar in 1985 is an example. Having ascended to the podium to receive the Oscar, Fields revealed a common longing of the human heart—to be enjoyed. Speaking candidly, she admitted to the crowded the- ater, “I haven’t had an orthodox career, and I’ve wanted more than anything to have your respect. The first time [I won] I didn’t feel it, but this time I feel it, and I can’t deny the fact that you like me right now, you like me!”

That six-second speech pointed to the most fundamental of the seven longings of the human heart: the longing for the assurance that we are enjoyed. While we most naturally look for fulfillment of this in receiving affirmation from others, our true longing to be enjoyed is rooted in our desire to be enjoyed by God Himself. We were created by a God who enjoys loving us, and He designed us to need this assurance from Him. When we understand the truth of God’s enjoyment, our hearts become strong and bold in response.

The fulfillment of this longing begins only as we truly un- derstand the finished work of the Cross. God certainly forgives us, but He also enjoys us. He truly desires our fellowship. This is remarkable. After we first understand what Jesus did on the Cross, then we seek to understand why He did it. He desires and delights in us for reasons bigger than anything we can secure by our dedication or achievements. The extravagant emotions God feels for us fulfill our longing to be enjoyed and are expressed in two distinct ways: as a Father and as a Bridegroom. The Father has affection for us as His children, and Jesus has passion for us as His Bride. This understanding gives us the foundation to identify with and enter into what I call the “romance of the Gospel.” We feel enjoyed by God and exhilarated in God’s love and joy.

The Song of Solomon is an eight-chapter love song. It is

first a natural love song that extols the glory and beauty of mar- ried love. It is powerful at the natural level, but it has a spiritual interpretation as well. We do not have to choose one over the other; both of them are powerful and necessary. In the spiri- tual, or allegorical interpretation, on two occasions the Bride, the Church, stands before Jesus, the Bridegroom, and cries out, “I am lovesick!” (Song of Solomon 2:5; 5:8). She then goes on to proclaim the truth that God’s very desire is towards her (Song of Solomon 7:10).

Our lives have value and importance specifically because God enjoys us. This all may seem too good to be true, but it is true—gloriously true. We are defined by the One who pursues us. We are not just the sum total of what we accomplish. We are defined as important by virtue of the One who wants us, loves us and enjoys us. Our success is measured solely by the fact that Jesus values and desires us. Our ministry may never be large, we may never have a lot of money, or even a lot of friends, but the fact that He enjoys us answers the greatest need of our hearts. When we comprehend and accept this truth, our hearts are set on fire.

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