Every year on Valentine’s Day we celebrate love with flowers, candy and cards in a sentimental way. However, love expressed is much more than the sentiments expressed.
Let’s pause and consider what love truly is.
Loving someone who loves you and meets your needs is easy. What about during the difficult times when someone isn’t meeting your needs or only doing so at times?
When you wade through rough waters with someone, then love is tested.
Will you walk away or persist in working through things with that person? Is the love you have true love?
Love takes on a greater depth of meaning when you walk through difficulties and suffering and yet persist in seeking to love in the midst of it.
Even in less intense situations, in every day life, a spouse, friend, neighbor, acquaintance or someone at work can irritate us. How will we respond?
God tells us to love one another. What does that mean?
I Corinthians 13 describes true love for us.
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.
Let us continue to pray for ourselves and each other for the strength and grace to love like this. We are not gong to do it perfectly all the time. We are learning. When we fall short, we can go and receive more love from God so we have the strength to grow in our ability to love one another.
Love, true love that is willing to suffer is the greatest gift we can give to each other on Valentine’s Day and every day.