The bachelor always intrigues me. You may be wondering...
Why do I watch this trash?
Good question. Mostly because, who doesn't want to watch 30 woman destroy each other over one man? But, second, because I think it reveals something very real about the longings of our hearts.
The first time this occurred to me was when the bachelor (at the time) ended his relationship with one of the girls. He just "wasn't feeling it". She was put in the back of a car and they filmed her final exit words.
"I just want what every girl wants, to be loved."
How correct and profound was she. And sad. This girl was so desperate for love, she'd come all the way to the Bachelor only to find out she still didn't measure up.
In other seasons I've heard similar statements.
"I am never enough."
"I need to follow my heart."
"I crave safety and trust and I thought we had that."
"I feel worthy of love, but I keep falling short."
These girls are wearing dresses that cost them hundreds—if not thousands—of dollars. Their hair and makeup is perfect. They try to say and do all the right things. They are seemingly perfect.
Yet, in the end, every single girl who walks in front of the bachelor camera still feels less than, unloved, and not enough.
I believe the drama we see play out across bachelor exposes the true heart of our culture. Selfish people who are lonely for love.
Here are a few of the truths/myths these poor guys and gals are discovering on The Bachelor.
They are never enough. This is true. A sad one if you do not love the Lord. Thankfully, as Christians, we know God is enough. I may never be the perfect wife, mom, daughter, business owner, friend, or fill in the blank, but God can still use me. That is the beauty of the redemptive gospel.
We were all shattered pieces of glass. Unfixable. Yet, if we allow it, God can pick up each of our pieces and make something good. Something beautiful. Something worthy. He turns us into stained glass windows. A person whose life tells a story of redemption, hope, and love.
The thief (anything standing between me and God) came to kill, steal, and destroy. Christ came so that you may have life and have it abundantly (John 10:10).
Follow your heart. I cringe every single time I hear this, and not just on The Bachelor. This is a common sentiment in our culture. Jeremiah 17:9 tells us the heart is deceitful above all things and is beyond cure. No wonder the we live in a culture with a perverted perspective on love.
The Bible tells us a different, much more successful way. Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. This truth will guide each of us through every situation, relationship, or season we find ourselves in.
Finally, the last statement I haven't mentioned yet: "I wanted you to fight for me."
In How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, we see Matthew McConaughey on a motorcycle chasing Kate Hudson's taxi down to tell her he loves her, and she gets to say it back. They kiss, and they live happily ever after.
These endings are a winner because we love it when a man fights for his woman. We want to be fought for not only because it means we are loved, but it means we are valued.
The Lord has and continues to romance us in the same way. He fights for our love and affection. He paints sunrises and sunsets, He gives us families. He provides for us and with each morning His mercies are new. He is a jealous God who wants our praise and worship.
He won the fight against sin and gave us the opportunity for eternal life, and one day he will return on a white horse for us, the people He loves.
The bachelor may be about receiving the "final rose", but Christ paid the final cost of our sin so that we might spend an eternity with him. I don't know about you, but I can't think of anything more romantic than that.
A great read!