Let me give you a new command: Love one another. In the same way I loved you, you love one another. John 13:34
Love is a funny word. At this very moment, it's being thrown around all over Facebook and Twitter, and in the halls of high school and middle school campuses all over the world. Don't get me wrong. I like Valentine's Day. I mean, I am sitting here at my desk eating a heart-shaped chicken biscuit, looking at beautiful flowers, and thinking about when I'm going to go use the gift certificate I just got for a pedi. I liked seeing Clay smile when he opened up the gift card I got him for a golf outing. It was fun to see the kids' smiles, too, when they spied the cash that fell out of the cards we got them. I imagine they'll smile again when they see those delicious sugar cookies I packed in their lunches. Also, I got a little verklempt this morning when I ran across this card that Abby made for me in 2006. She was just barely 7.
It's awesomtastic, right? You might even say it's buttaful. She's 13 now, and you might guess that I got no such sentiment this morning on her way out the door about how I smell or look. You'd be right. But come to think of it, I just caught a glimpse of my unshowered self, so that's probably a good thing.
Anyways, I like that we have a day set aside to celebrate love. I just think that maybe we should spend more time thinking about what it really means. Because no matter how many pins with creative ideas you look at, you won't gain understanding on pinterest. No matter how many "I love you" statuses and pictures of flowers and candy come across your newsfeed, you won't suddenly grasp love's meaning on facebook. Even dictionary.com comes up short.
Nope, we're flawed people. Our understanding of love and practice of it comes up short most of the time. Sure, we can use all the right words and even make it look pretty good sometimes. But even the slickest dudes with the best Valentine's Day surprises come up short when compared to the One who is the very essence of love.
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.
It's a little bit odd to me that that these verses find themselves cross stitched on so many pillows and hanging on so many walls. I mean, come on. The kind of love that is described here is not easy. I don't read it and think, "Yay, love is patient and kind! Woohoo!" I read it and think, "Oh, man. Love is patient. And kind, too. That's hard." That word "is" makes me uncomfortable. And "always" and "never" showing up there at the end doesn't help much either. But there's no way around it - that's how God defines the word.
Valentine's Day is named for two early Christians --Valentine of Rome and Valentine of Terni. Both of those guys died for their faith. Their love for God was a commitment they did not turn from, no matter the cost. The apostle Paul felt the same way. His admission in Phil. 2:17 challenges me like crazy: Even if I am poured out as a drink offering on the sacrifice and service of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with all of you.
That's love. An online thesaurus will tell you that its synonyms are words like: adulation, affection, appreciation, emotion, fondness, and sentiment. But God's Word describes love with words like submission, service, and sacrifice. It's a determination. It's commitment. It's giving of yourself 365 days a year. If we're gonna love like Jesus loved, then it's gonna mean we sacrifice ourselves, one way or another. It might mean that you give of yourself more than you get back from others. More than likely, it will sometimes hurt. It's a funny word. But it's the best gift you can give on Valentine's Day and every other day, and it's the only one that lasts.
Love never ends.....Now these three remain: faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love.1 Cor. 13:8,13
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