Next Tuesday is Valentine’s Day, the day we celebrate love. So, this week I’d like to talk a little on the subject of love. There is so much written on the subject of love it’s mind-boggling. Everything you wanted to know plus a whole lot more.
I was thinking back many years ago, about some of my first Valentine’s memories. Do you remember giving and receiving Valentine cards in elementary school? As the years went by, we gave a Valentine gift to your sweetheart. Then as our life progresses, we celebrate Valentine’s Day as husband and wife. Then the cycle starts all over with our children and Grandchildren. Let’s take a closer look at Love & Valentine’s Day.
The true origin of the holiday is vague at best, dating back to the Romans. But Valentine’s Day did not come to be celebrated as a day of romance until about the 14th century. Although there were several Christian martyrs named Valentine, the day may have taken its name from a priest who was martyred about 270 by the emperor Claudius II Gothicus. According to legend, the priest signed a letter “from your Valentine” to his jailer’s daughter, whom he had befriended and, by some accounts, healed from blindness. Other accounts hold that it was St. Valentine of Terni, a bishop, for whom the holiday was named, though it is possible the two saints were actually one person. Another common legend states that St. Valentine defied the emperor’s orders and secretly married couples to spare the husbands from war. It is for this reason that his feast day is associated with love.
Formal messages, or valentines, appeared in the 1500s, and by the late 1700s commercially printed cards were being used. The traditional gifts include candy and flowers, particularly red roses, are the symbols of beauty and love. The holiday has expanded to expressions of affection among relatives and friends. Many schoolchildren exchange valentines with one another on this day.
Valentine’s Day is a day we celebrate Love. Even though we should express our love for each other every day, sometimes with our busy life we just forget to show or maybe to take for granted.
Do you know who showed the Greatest Love?
Love is a very important part of our physical and our spiritual well being. Did you know that the Bible mentions the word love 310 times in the King James version of the Bible and even more and some of the other versions. So, even to God, love is very important. We find four basic types of love in the Bible. Let’s look at these.
First – EROS: this Greek word that refers to sexual love and probably derived its name from the mythical god of love.
Second – STORGE: This is the type of love signifying the natural affection between kinfolk. A mother and a baby for example. Interesting that this word appears only occasionally in the New Testament and only in compound form.
Third – PHILEO: This Greek word for love signifies, Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance defines phileo as, “to be a friend to…fond of an individual or object; having affection for (as denoting attachment); a matter of sentiment or feeling”.
Fourth – AGAPE: This Greek word for love is by far the one that appears most frequently in the New Testament. Agape love is selfless, sacrificial, unconditional love. In the New Testament, the fatherly love of God for humans, as well as the human reciprocal love for God.
I want to take a quick look at the Greatest love of all, Agape love. Agape love is the love that God has for us. John 3:16 tells us, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” Can you imagine giving up your son to endure the pain and death that Jesus went through! Also in Romans 5:8 we find this verse, “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Even when we were sinners, He loved us. He didn’t wait for us to love Him first.
God commands us to Love. First to love God. Luke 10:27 says, “So he answered and said, “ ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind,’ and ‘your neighbor as yourself.’” This is how we need to love God… with ALL your Heart, Soul, Strength and Mind. Love with everything you have. Then it says to love thy neighbor. Jesus tells us in John 13:34-35, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”
So, My question to you is… How’s your love life? Does it need a little help? In 1 John 4:7-8 says, “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. He who does not love does not know God, for God is love”
Again… How’s your spiritual love life? It all starts with a personal relationship with God. How’s your relationship with God? Do you love God? He loves you. Maybe you never had a real relationship with God and felt the love He has for you… Or maybe your relationship is not as good as it first was.
You may go to Church, give generously to the Ministry, sing in the choir or maybe even a Sunday School teacher. None of these things will save your soul. We are all standing on the edge of eternity. None of us are promised another day. So please don’t put this off! There is no better time than the present to start or maybe renew your relationship with God. Please take a moment right now and dedicate yourself to Christ Our Savior.
Please… if you don’t know Christ or have fallen away, please pray… Tell God you believe His Son Jesus paid for your sins and arose from the grave. Tell God you are sorry and want to start Living for Him. He will forgive your sins and mistakes and give you Everlasting Life with Him… and place His Spirit deep within your heart. In 1 John 1:9 says, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” and in Romans 10:9 tells us, that “if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; “
So, How’s your Love Life?
Happy Valentine’s Day. I pray that God will truly Help and Bless you.
If you would like for me to pray with you, please email me at Bob.L@magnificentPromises.com. May God Bless and Keep!
I thank you for reading my blog. I do not claim to be any expert or affiliated with any religious organization. All I can say is that I’m affiliated with my Lord Jesus Christ. This is one man’s opinion and observations. My hope is I stirred up some thoughts for you to think about. There is one place that we can find all the answers to life. That road map is Commonly known as the Bible. If you want the answers to life all you have to do is read. If you would like me to pray with you or want to send a comment please email me at Bob.L@magnificentpromises.com
For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believeth in him shall not perish but have everlasting life. John 3:16
