Today around the world people are celebrating Valentine’s Day! It’s a day set aside to show that special someone how much you care. Of course, you should be doing that every day, shouldn’t you. 🙂
I spent some time looking up the history of Valentine’s Day and Saint Valentine, for whom Valentine’s Day is named after. I found many different legends and theories of why we celebrate Valentine’s Day and what exactly happened to St. Valentine. Instead of going into all of that, today I decided to focus on the key concept of the day, Love, and what God says about it in His word. The bible references the word ‘love’ between 300 – 500 times depending on what version you are reading. Below are some scripture verses I believe truly capture how our Heavenly Father feels about love.
John 3:16 (NLT),“For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.”
1 Corinthians 13:4-7 (NLT),”Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.”
1 Corinthians 13:13 (NLT),”Three things will last forever—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love.”
Ephesians 5:28 (NLT),”In the same way, husbands ought to love their wives as they love their own bodies. For a man who loves his wife actually shows love for himself.”
1 Peter 4:8 (NLT),”Most important of all, continue to show deep love for each other, for love covers a multitude of sins.”
1 John 4:7 (NLT),”Dear friends, let us continue to love one another, for love comes from God. Anyone who loves is a child of God and knows God.”
Exodus 20:6 (NLT),”But I lavish unfailing love for a thousand generations on those who love me and obey my commands.”
1 John 4:12 (NLT),”No one has ever seen God. But if we love each other, God lives in us, and his love is brought to full expression in us.”
Romans 12:10 (NLT),”Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other.”
Deuteronomy 10:19 (NLT),”So you, too, must show love to foreigners, for you yourselves were once foreigners in the land of Egypt.”
1 John 4:10 (NLT),”This is real love—not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins.”
Song of Songs 8:7 (NLT),”Many waters cannot quench love, nor can rivers drown it. If a man tried to buy love with all his wealth, his offer would be utterly scorned”
Galatians 5:14 (NLT),”For the whole law can be summed up in this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”
Deuteronomy 6:5 (NLT),”And you must love the lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength.”
Ephesians 5:25 (NLT),”For husbands, this means love your wives, just as Christ loved the church. He gave up his life for her”
Ephesians 4:2 (NLT),”Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love.”
Ephesians 5:2 (NLT),”Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ. He loved us and offered himself as a sacrifice for us, a pleasing aroma to God.”
God has plenty to say about love and His words should guide our thoughts and our actions. Valentine’s Day is a yearly reminder to show love to those who are special to us. But God’s word gives us daily reminders throughout Scripture of how showing love should be an every day thing. This is something you should display for all you come in contact with, as children of God!
Truth in Love! ~ Chuck