I John 4:19
We love because he first loved us.
John 13:34
34 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.
Ephesians 5:2 (The Message)
“Observe how Christ loved us. His love was not cautious but extravagant. He didn’t love in order to get something from us but to give everything of himself to us. Love like that.”
Ah, Valentines Day...the day of love!
Many think it’s a day just for couples, but that’s not true. Sure, Valentine’s Day has been marketed as a celebration for couples, but I believe love goes far beyond romance. Valentine’s Day is about LOVE in all its forms and can be enjoyed by couples, families, church communities, and friends alike. It’s a time to celebrate anyone you love and who loves you in return.
The Bible teaches that we were created out of love, to be loved. Our understanding of love comes from knowing and experiencing the love of our Creator. As 1 John 4:19 says, “We love because God first loved us.” The story of God and humanity is, as C.S. Lewis once told J.R.R. Tolkien, “the one fairy-tale that is actually true”—the love story at the heart of all others.
What does the love story beneath all love stories tell us? Well, it tells us that we are uniquely loved by God. Think of the words in Psalm 139,
13 For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,
I know that full well.
In short, we’re all here because God wanted us to be. Who you are is shaped by His love. The way He’s put your life together is what He calls “Wonderful,” and Psalm 139 describes our creation as the handiwork of God.
I also want us to remember that God loves us deeply. “He gathers the lambs in His arms and carries them close to His heart,” says Isaiah 40:11. It’s a beautiful picture of being held closely and unconditionally by our God. The Bible tells us that God would go to any lengths to show His love for us, even giving His Son Jesus over to death on a cross.
We love because he first loved us.
John 13:34
34 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.
Ephesians 5:2 (The Message)
“Observe how Christ loved us. His love was not cautious but extravagant. He didn’t love in order to get something from us but to give everything of himself to us. Love like that.”
Ah, Valentines Day...the day of love!
Many think it’s a day just for couples, but that’s not true. Sure, Valentine’s Day has been marketed as a celebration for couples, but I believe love goes far beyond romance. Valentine’s Day is about LOVE in all its forms and can be enjoyed by couples, families, church communities, and friends alike. It’s a time to celebrate anyone you love and who loves you in return.
The Bible teaches that we were created out of love, to be loved. Our understanding of love comes from knowing and experiencing the love of our Creator. As 1 John 4:19 says, “We love because God first loved us.” The story of God and humanity is, as C.S. Lewis once told J.R.R. Tolkien, “the one fairy-tale that is actually true”—the love story at the heart of all others.
What does the love story beneath all love stories tell us? Well, it tells us that we are uniquely loved by God. Think of the words in Psalm 139,
13 For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,
I know that full well.
In short, we’re all here because God wanted us to be. Who you are is shaped by His love. The way He’s put your life together is what He calls “Wonderful,” and Psalm 139 describes our creation as the handiwork of God.
I also want us to remember that God loves us deeply. “He gathers the lambs in His arms and carries them close to His heart,” says Isaiah 40:11. It’s a beautiful picture of being held closely and unconditionally by our God. The Bible tells us that God would go to any lengths to show His love for us, even giving His Son Jesus over to death on a cross.
“This is love: not that we loved God,
but that He loved us
and sent His Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.”
We read from Ephesians the invitation to “Observe how Christ loved us. His love was not cautious but extravagant. He didn’t love in order to get something from us but to give everything of himself to us. Love like that.”
I find, and perhaps you do too, that Jesus’ model of love inspires us to follow the best way to live, “the most excellent way,” as 1 Corinthians 12:31 puts it. This way of love is beautifully described in 1 Corinthians 13.
Love never gives up.
Love cares more for others than for self.
Love doesn’t want what it doesn’t have.
Love doesn’t strut,
Doesn’t have a swelled head,
Doesn’t force itself on others,
Isn’t always “me first,”
Doesn’t fly off the handle,
Doesn’t keep score of the sins of others,
Doesn’t revel when others grovel,
Takes pleasure in the flowering of truth,
Puts up with anything,
Trusts God always,
Always looks for the best,
Never looks back,
But keeps going to the end.
I find, and perhaps you do too, that Jesus’ model of love inspires us to follow the best way to live, “the most excellent way,” as 1 Corinthians 12:31 puts it. This way of love is beautifully described in 1 Corinthians 13.
Love never gives up.
Love cares more for others than for self.
Love doesn’t want what it doesn’t have.
Love doesn’t strut,
Doesn’t have a swelled head,
Doesn’t force itself on others,
Isn’t always “me first,”
Doesn’t fly off the handle,
Doesn’t keep score of the sins of others,
Doesn’t revel when others grovel,
Takes pleasure in the flowering of truth,
Puts up with anything,
Trusts God always,
Always looks for the best,
Never looks back,
But keeps going to the end.
So today on this Valentines Day let us not limit our actions of love to our “sweethearts” but take a moment and think about the people around you that you want to love like Jesus, how might you reach out in love to them today?
Let's Pray
God, thank You for showing me love first so I can truly know it. I want to love like Jesus—freely, without caution or expecting anything in return. Help me give myself fully to others, and fill me with Your Spirit every moment of every day so I can love that way. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Let's Pray
God, thank You for showing me love first so I can truly know it. I want to love like Jesus—freely, without caution or expecting anything in return. Help me give myself fully to others, and fill me with Your Spirit every moment of every day so I can love that way. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
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