Especially today, Thursday February 14, 2019, a good number
of people may nod their head in agreement when they hear the claim that “love
is a contradiction made up of mirrors
& smoke.” While others would shake their head in disapproval,
recognizing that love is an ultimate force, greater than even faith and hope,
which can always handle and give “a little more.”
Considering the vast array of emotions evoked by this
annually event of Valentine’s Day, I would venture that we can all possibly
agree that we wouldn’t want to receive the
rude, cruel, and insulting ‘Vinegar Valentines’ of the Victorian Era.
In light of this potential possibility, I believe that we would most likely be
sincerely grateful even for the lack of a valentine.
Once Jesus was asked, “Teacher, which is the greatest
commandment in the Law?” and we all are familiar with His response that was
eventually dubbed “The Golden Rule” Matthew
22:34-40 . Later the Apostle John reminded faithful believers
of Jesus’ words when he stated: “A new command I give you: Love one
another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone
will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” John
13:34-35
This “Golden Rule” calling us to Love God with all our
hearts, souls and minds, and then to love others as we love ourselves, at
first, may be viewed as a warm sentiment that is common among religious people
of many different faiths; causing us to unthinkingly dismiss the impossibly difficult
challenge of what we’ve actually been called to be and exhibit. In 1
John 4:8 we come to understand that God isn’t just loving – He is
Love! In 1
Corinthians 13:4-8 not only do we get a biblical definition of what
love is, but a detailed description of who God is AND who He’s calling us each to personally be
and do as we interact with all others in our individual spheres of influence!!
Therefore, if we replace the word “Love” 1
Corinthians 13:4-8 with our own name, we can get a current real-time
sense on how loving we are here and now. If we should happen to find ourselves
lacking, we now have immediate feedback regarding what current areas of
opportunity that exist in which we can develop and grow in our ability to be
more Christ-like!!
It was this biblical love that gave Jesus the strength,
willingness, and ability to remain reverently humble and sacrificially obedient
to the Father's will of reconciling the world to himself, as he paid the price
for our sins, which we could never pay! It is the same unwaveringly
unchangeable love that which we are loved with in each and every beat of each
of our individual hearts, in each and every breath we each take, starting long
ago, somewhere deep in eternity past through this moment right now, lasting
throughout into the now unimaginable unmeasurable seasons, far away into the
awaiting eternity future!!! It is with this timeless biblical love that Father
God has given us “every spiritual blessing” that heaven has to offer in Christ
and that which He continually works in us until it is complete in the day of
Christ Jesus Philippians
1:3-6 . How can our souls not joyously worship and rejoice in
response!?!
On a personal note, when I first became a Christian, and learned
that the Bible defined true love much differently than I did (1
Corinthians 13:4-8) I was honestly shocked to learn that we not only
could, but rather we are expected, to generously show and give it to everyone,
even to the most unlovely and unlovable of our neighbors! Then sometime later
in my journey, I was called higher when faced in considering the following
question: “Where
would we be if Jesus was as stingy with His blood like some people are with
their cash?”
So to make an effort to be gracious and giving and in order
to avoid the unlikely event that even one of us is destined for a
Charlie-Brown-like Valentine, I wanted to make sure you received one from me!!
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