In lieu of Valentine's Day there have been countless articles produced all over social media. Articles full of ideas, opinions , expectations and standards that people have in regards to a day where they want to be shown love and show love in return. Soo many people who place so much pressure on themselves and the ones they love the most. Don't get me wrong I am not opposed to this day in any form . Ever since I was little my parents and significant others over the years have done amazing things to make me feel special and loved. While those special people have gone almost as quickly as they have gone it has me thinking.
As I sit in a gorgeous beach house in Rosarito , overlooking the ocean with good food and good company I am reminded of what this day should really be about. Feelings, possesions, and even relationships come and go. There is only one love one person who feels the same way about us and is constant in His companionship day in and day out for eternity. For this I am grateful, because of this I can remain unmoved when the world tries to rock me. This year has brought many new loves into my life and I am soo excited for the chance to see God's true love manifested through each relationship. The verse from John 4:19 has been in the fore front of my mind this past week.
We love because He first loved us!!
How incredible is this verse. I mean stop and think about its significance. Read it again and try to grasp what it's really saying to us. Our desire and ability to love stems directly from Gods love for us and in us. How incredible that even on days when we don't feel like loving someone we are still able to. Not because of who that person is or what they have or have not done for us but because of who Christ is and how He chose to love us first. Even now while we are still a hot mess on most days , as a child of God we have full confidence in the righteousness and holiness of our God and Father.
Gods love for us is not something that can be measured or tallied. Gods love holds nothing back , He gave up everything even to the point of sacrificing His only Son. Giving up what was His greatest possesion. Gods love for us had been perfect, set , complete from the beginning of time. Like human relationships where we strive to add love and brownie points to eachother based on what we do. Gods love does not grow or diminish, it is unconditional and unquantifiable.
Because of the Spirit that resides within us , and that Christ has done for us He has called us to love deeply and with no condition. Like Christ we are called to love without expecting anything in return , giving sacrificially in our understanding that all we have is from the Lord. I love the way John Piper put it...............
"This Valentine’s Day, as the world keeps a tally of love, may we never forget that God’s love for us is greater than anything we can imagine. It is greater than googolplex and more than the stars in the sky. It is immeasurable, steadfast, and permanent. And that same amazing love has been given to us to extend it to others. May we give that love, without keeping score, knowing that God’s love for us keeps no record, because in Jesus, our debts have been marked: “paid in full.”
Happy Valentines Day !!!!!
