Happy Valentine’s Day

Today is the day, that day, the day where everyone gets all sappy and lovey and wait a minute… that doesn’t sound quite right does it?  Valentine’s Day is supposed to be about love.  It’s a special day singled out for loving.  Usually when I think of Valentine’s Day, I think of couples and gondolas on Italian canals, candlelight, romantic music, etc.

Then I think about all of the little ones exchanging Valentine cards, pink iced sugar cookies and little gestures of love.

Now, flash to Charlie Brown, going to the mailbox and despairing because nobody loved him enough to give him a Valentine – not even the little red haired girl… sigh.

No matter the time of year, whether we’ve given it a special name or not, all of us desire to be loved.  Love is so much more than red roses and foil wrapped chocolate.  True love is making a choice to honour and value another person – even to the sacrifice of our selves.  Consider what is probably the most famous verse in Scripture,

John 3:16
For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

I should say that that is worth a whole lot more than a candlelit dinner!  Despite how we treated God, He loved us so much that He chose to act in love toward us.  True love is much more than ‘feeling’ love.  True love requires choices and action – even when we don’t feel like it.

Sometimes, my darling husband and I don’t get along very well.  Sometimes I get frustrated and discouraged by my children.  I don’t always feel as though I like them very much but I always love them.

Love may not always be easy.  In fact, I imagine in many cases it seems almost impossible.  God tells us though what He expects from us in love.

Matthew 22:37 – 39
Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.

There is a wonderful chorus that the children sing that comes right out of Scripture…

Beloved, let us love one another (love one another).  For love is of God and everyone that loveth is born of God and knoweth God.  He that loveth not, knoweth not God for God is love God is love).  Beloved, let us love one another. 1 John 4:7-8

 Today, on this day marked for love, I encourage you to choose to love the way that God loves – with a whole heart, a sacrificial love that reflects God’s love to us demonstrated through the life, death, burial, resurrection and promised return of His beloved Son, the Lord, Jesus Christ.