Ever wondered about the true essence of love beyond the commercial buzz of Valentine’s Day?
Valentine’s Day often comes packaged with high expectations and commercial hype, promoting everything from chocolates to expensive jewelry as symbols of love. Yet, these societal norms barely scratch the surface of true, Biblical love.
Key Verse: 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 “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. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.”
Background Context: In Greek, the language of the New Testament, several words describe different types of love, reflecting its complex and multifaceted nature. In contrast, English uses the single word “love” across various contexts, necessitating a deeper look at the intent and meaning in scriptural references.
In the New Testament, the Apostle Paul outlines the profound attributes of love in 1 Corinthians 13, distinguishing it from the shallow and often materialistic expressions seen in popular culture. This passage is a cornerstone for understanding Christian love, contrasting sharply with the superficial gestures commonly promoted during Valentine’s Day.
(Continued and expanded after scripture.)
The Excellence of Love
1If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 2If I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. 3And if I give all my possessions to feed the poor, and if I surrender my body to be burned, but do not have love, it profits me nothing.
4Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, 5does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, 6does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; 7bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
8Love never fails; but if there are gifts of prophecy, they will be done away; if there are tongues, they will cease; if there is knowledge, it will be done away. 9For we know in part and we prophesy in part; 10but when the perfect comes, the partial will be done away. 11When I was a child, I used to speak like a child, think like a child, reason like a child; when I became a man, I did away with childish things. 12For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face; now I know in part, but then I will know fully just as I also have been fully known. 13But now faith, hope, love, abide these three; but the greatest of these is love.
Reflection on 1 Corinthians 13:
- Patience and Kindness: True love mirrors God’s nature—patient and kind. It stands in contrast to the impulsive purchases and grand gestures often glorified by Valentine’s Day commercials.
- Enduring and Selfless: Biblical love is enduring and selfless, not limited to a single day of acknowledgment but lived out daily in our actions and interactions.
- Beyond Materialism: While giving gifts can be an expression of love, the commercial push during Valentine’s Day often distorts this expression into a compulsory act driven by societal expectations rather than genuine affection.
Summary Key Points:
- Love is Multi-dimensional: Unlike the one-dimensional portrayal in Valentine’s Day advertising, Biblical love is rich and varied, encompassing patience, kindness, and selflessness.
- Daily Expression: True love is not confined to special occasions but is a daily commitment to act out of love for one another, reflecting Christ’s love for us.
- Critical View of Commercial Holidays: It’s crucial to discern the motivations behind our actions, especially during heavily marketed holidays. Are we acting out of true love or societal pressure?
One last parting thought… we can love YHWH and love others because He has first shown me love. Yeshua died for us to make a way for us to be forgiven our sins.
12“This is My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you. 13“Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends.
The best way to show love for one another is through how we treat one another every day of the year.
(To learn more about the pagan origins of Valentines Day – World Religion News: Pagan origin of Valentines day)
Application: Consider how you express love in daily life. Are your actions influenced by cultural expectations or grounded in the Biblical definition of love? Discuss with loved ones how you might celebrate your love in ways that are meaningful and rooted in faith, not just on Valentine’s Day but throughout the year.
Closing Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You for showing us the perfect example of love through Your Son, Jesus Christ. Help us to love not just in words or speech but in actions and truth. Teach us to express this love every day, not just on special occasions, and to resist the pressures of commercial influences. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
May the grace and peace of our Lord, Yeshua, be with you.
John Golda
Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.