Valentine’s Day can be viewed as an opportunity to consider God’s extraordinary and enduring love for us. His word contains many statements that express the potent truth of His love, which is greater than all comprehension.
In 1 John 4:8, the author says, “Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.”
John 13:34 says, “A new command I give you: love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.
God further defines love in 1 Corinthians 13:4-8, the passage that reads, “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonour others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, and it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, and always perseveres. Love never fails.”
John 3:16 says, “God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” He gave up his only son for us. He gave us eternal life because of his great and unmatched love for each of us. God describes love in this way and then tells us that he is love.
C.S. Lewis once said, “Jesus died not for men, but for each man. If each man had been the only man-made, he would have done no less.” God loves you so much. If you were the only one on earth he still would have sent his son for you.
We often think of Valentine’s day as the day for couples to show their love to one another, but rarely do we use it to remind us of God’s unmatched love for us, his children. For many single people, Valentine’s day can be a bitter reminder of their singleness and desire for a relationship. Luckily, God doesn’t leave anyone single or in a relationship out of his unending love and grace. So this Valentine’s day, remember to set your sights not on earthly relationships but on the God who loves us far more, fully and abundantly, than we could ever imagine. So the best way to celebrate Valentine’s is to remember the love of God.
Although instituted in honour of a saint, said to have expressed true love through making a sacrifice, Valentine’s Day is now observed by all. It is a day set aside to show love to others. As another Valentine’s Day is here, how do we as Christians, celebrate it? What is the best way to observe this yearly event that has already found its way into the Christian calendar? What does Valentine’s mean to you and me? A Christian should love anybody, irrespective of the person’s background or attitude, because that is the seed God has planted in us.
When people of this world show us love, they expect a reward from us in return. But we should love unconditionally because God has demonstrated how best we should love our fellow human beings. Saint Valentine, who demonstrated and started this message of love, was teaching us that hatred should not be encouraged and that every aspect of hatred in our lives should be thrown away. And so, we should demonstrate love and preach love. Valentine is about a man, who showed love some time ago but our real valentine Jesus showed us the essence of the Christian life. Of course, the essence of Christian life is love, as Jesus Christ himself is love.
We have to learn to see every day as Valentine’s Day. But as Christians, we must not celebrate Valentine’s Day in an ungodly way that would lead to disaster. I am sure God completely opposes those taking this period to express lust and immorality. Instead, Valentine’s Day should be celebrated in a biblical way. As Christians, we are to express our love to serve as God’s agents to bring peace to the world and establish God’s love in homes. Christians are to manifest love to those who are lacking and suffering, provide for the poor, and needy, and assist those who cannot pay for their basic needs.
Of course, romantics worldwide are finding clever ways to express their love to their Valentine with chocolates, hearts, and roses! But when it comes to real love, I believe the Bible does a better job than Valentine can ever do, because it tells us what real love is all about!
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