Valentine’s Day Dilemma

Are you one of the many people that get so excited about Valentine’s Day? Do you plan your adventure weeks in advance? Do you make reservations for that ‘special’ place? Buy the finest chocolates? Or surrender to Kay Jewelers’ sensational, awe-inspiring commercials declaring that you should love your “angel” “enough” to buy her the “finest” diamonds?

Okay, if you’re like me, you just threw up a little. Or a lot. 

I’m not trying to be a bummer.  I don’t tend to throw discouragement out to others, but I have to say that even as a married gal, this makes me nauseous. Married couple: What happened to the vows you made? “Love, honor, and cherish, ALL the days of my life?” Single people, why does Victim X have to shower Victim Y with gifts to show love and care? Do you fall victim to this dilemma like so many others? It is really no dilemma at all.

We tend to abuse the word love all the time. I love pie. I love my shoes. I love my car. I love my job. And the list goes on. Love is not typically used with its true meaning in mind. 

English Teacher Response: Love is a verb, not a noun.

*love (verb) (used without object), loved, loving.
21. to have love or affection for another person; be in love.

©©©But TRUE LOVE is a noun! ©©©

*agape (noun) [ah-gah-pey]
1. the love of God or Christ for humankind. (the gift of Christ is the noun here).
3. unselfish love of one person for another without sexual implications; brotherly love. 

Love is when we wake up not really wanting to do something for the other person (because we humans can be selfish), but we do it anyway. Love is when the odds are against us, but we overcome—together! Love is when we pick up the phone to say “I’m thinking of you, and I just wanted to take some time to talk to you” (out of our crazy busy days!) Love is when we kiss boo-boos, say goodnight prayers, and read devotions with our spouse, our children, or our significant other (a telephone or Skype makes this possible!) Or possibly the hardest: when we say things (out of love) that the other person (husband, child, or friend) may not want to hear, but it’s from our heart, and it makes him or her a better person.  It’s called “iron sharpening iron.”

^{Colossians 3:12} Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.

He’s just saying be generous, show some true concern, throw in some tenderness, persevere and don’t give up, but don’t brag about your actions. He did not say do these things only one day out of the year that has conveniently been turned into a commercialized holiday.

God gave us the best “Valentine” ever when He sent Christ:

^{John 3:16} For 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. 

So in all honesty, Christians, why are we not showing the love of Christ every single day? Or, to those who are not Christians, at least, love for humanity? Christ came as an eternal sacrifice, and sometimes we make no effort to even acknowledge Him (I know I am guilty!)

I know this is not popular among the masses, but true love is keeping others (every person: those we love and those we love but may not like very much) from danger. Personally, I consider hell to be a major danger and tragedy. We will all spend eternity somewhere: As the old saying goes: “Would you like smoking or nonsmoking?”

So my Momma used to always say, “You can’t have John 3:16 without the follow-up verse.”

^{John: 3:17} For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 

So if Jesus didn’t come to “condemn” the world, why do WE do it every day? We judge constantly, whether we realize it or not (no matter who you are!) During Sunday’s message, my pastor said, “We catch ‘em, He’ll clean ‘em!” That pretty much sums it up. NO sin is greater than another or smaller than another. PS… there is no ‘little white lie’ for those who were wondering.

This is what Valentine’s Day currently represents: Commercialized money-sucking insanity.

This is what Valentine’s Day should represent:

EVERLASTING. UNCONDITIONAL. UNFAILING.  LOVE!

“…I trust in God’s unfailing love forever and ever.” Psalm 52:8

And only Christ can give that to us all the time, but we sure can strive for it EVERY DAY!

Happy LOVE people every Day!©©©©©©©©©©©©©©©©©©©©©©©©

In case you’re interested, Valentine’s Day originated as follows:

©It started in the Middle Ages.
©It’s actually a day recognizing Christian martyrs.
©Spring came in the middle of February: Basically, the animals got their “mate” on.
©The actual card giving started because lovers wrote letters to each other
(Romantic, yes. Lost art, yes! I think modern technology now sends you a text message. BOO!)
©Chaucer mentioned this in Parliament of Foules:
"on Seynt Valentynes day,/Whan every foul cometh there to chese [choose] his make [mate]."

Now you know. Show someone your love for them this 

Valentine’s Day, 

but don’t stop. Show them every single day that you have breath.

Saint Valentine's Day information credit goes to:  http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/15254a.htm
and some from the English Literature degree in me.
*Definitions are from Dictionary.com http://dictionary.reference.com/