😍 Do You Love Love?

So it should come as no surprise to any of us, yesterday was Valentine’s Day. I say it’s no surprise because not only are all the grocery stores decked out in pink and red right now, but few holidays are more polarizing than Valentine’s Day, right? All of us have an opinion about Valentine’s Day, and few of us are apathetic. Do you love it, or do you hate it?

It’s so strange – we live in a day and age where everybody has strong feelings about everything. And for people who love Valentine’s Day, they totally look forward to it. And then there’s always the people who dislike Valentine’s Day and think it’s the worst day of the year.

Now everybody thinks they’re right, and no matter which camp you fall in, here’s the thing, first and foremost: the Bible says we should rejoice with those who rejoice and weep with those who weep. And that should change how we look at everything, including holidays like Valentine’s Day.

So how does that principle apply to us this week? First of all, if you like Valentine’s Day, and someone else doesn’t, let’s be the kind of people who can say, “Don’t worry about it.” If you don’t like Valentine’s Day, don’t be a buzzkill for somebody who does. Let them enjoy the day! What’s the big deal?

Valentine’s Day is polarizing because it’s a reminder for all of us. It makes us remember things, and it’s either something we really dislike or something we really love…For most of us, it’s either a reminder that we feel lonely and want to have someone who loves us romantically (which is why some of us hate this holiday). And for others of us, it’s a reminder of our significant other, someone we really love…and we love celebrating that.

Now, here’s the thing. There’s something bigger I think we all need to remember. God wants us to learn to be content in the finished work of Jesus and our relationship with God. Now, longing and contentment aren’t mutually exclusive…if you find yourself longing for a relationship, that’s not bad! That’s something you can bring before the Lord in prayer. But longing shouldn’t be the lens we look at the rest of life through. What I am always learning is, no matter how I feel in my natural way of reacting to things, my relationship with God should set the pace for the rest of my life.

What I am always learning is, no matter how I feel in my natural way of reacting to things, my relationship with God should set the pace for the rest of my life. Click To Tweet

So if you love Valentine’s Day, guess what? The greatest Valentine was Jesus dying on the cross for our sins. That’s the greatest love you’ll ever experience. No human love, no matter how amazing it is, will ever trump God’s love for you in Christ.

And if you totally feel like, “Man, I don’t like Valentine’s Day, I don’t know love” — actually, the love of Jesus is greater than any human love you could know anyway. So we want to allow the finished work of Jesus and our faith in Jesus to really help us to be content so that we don’t have these excessive highs or excessive lows. But we can live hemmed in by the finished work of Jesus, and that’s a powerful mark of maturity in the life of someone who does follow Jesus.

Contentment doesn’t mean our circumstances are necessarily what we would want them to be, but we can live in contentment when we live in the reality God is more than enough for us in Christ. So as we head into the coming week, let your faith in Jesus make you a more contented person.

We Are Talking About Valentines Day