Valentine's Day

So I started this blog over a week ago, and never got back to it...now's the time...


I'm sure there's millions of people out there posting on their blogs about today. Unfortunately I'm going to join them...

So in case you don't celebrate this one wherever you're from, today is Valentine's Day. A day when people celebrate love. It's been hijacked by couples trying to out-do each other in showing their love for each other with gifts, flowers, cards and romantic guestures. But is that really love? Spending some money to get the thing that your loved one really wants isn't love. Spending time with someone on a day that you've been told you have to spend with them isn't love. While these things, and many more that I haven't mentioned, may be nice, they aren't love. So what it love?

Dictionary.com (amazing source I know!) defines love in 4 ways:

1. a profoundly tender, passionate affection for another person.

2. a feeling of warm personal attachment or deep affection, as for a parent, child, or friend.

3. sexual passion or desire.

4. a person toward whom love is felt; beloved person; sweetheart.

None of these definitions really satisfies me. They're all about emotion and feelings. That's what most people think love is...a feeling. But love is so much more than that. Have you ever heard the saying you can still love someone even if you don't like them? Love isn't about how you're feeling at any particular time. It's about your motivation. If you really love someone, you'll sacrifice yourself for their good. You'll do things that benefit them at the expense of your own gratification and feelings.


With that lofty idea of love, is there anywhere that love can ever match up to it? There is one. God. Romans 5:8 says 'But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." Sinners refers to our rebellion against God, our opposition of His rightful place as Lord in our lives. When we do this, we are pitting ourselves against God. I'm pretty sure God doesn't have emotional 'feelings' of love towards us at that time. Despite how God is 'feeling', He sent His own Son to die because of His LOVE for us. His motivation behind this sacrifice is love. God sacrificed His only Son, that He could show us His love for us. Is there any greater gesture of love in this world?