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Showing God on Valentine's Day
“Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love” (1 John 4:7-8. ESV).
Valentine’s Day, also called Saint Valentine’s Day or the Feast of Saint Valentine, is celebrated annually on February 14. It originated as a Christian feast day honoring a martyr named Valentine, and through later folk traditions it has also become a significant cultural, religious and commercial celebration of romance and love in many regions of the world.
As the calendar turns to February, we often think of the perfect present to give our loved one. Perhaps a nice dinner, flowers, jewelry, or chocolate is the choice to show our love.
Receiving gifts might be the preferred language of the recipient. However, Valentine’s Day provides men with the opportunity to go one step further beyond a secular holiday. If the basic premise of Valentine’s Day is love and since God is love as we known from the feature Scriptuire above, then Valentine’s Day gives men a unique opportunity to go the additional step and show love (and God) to their wife or significant other.
Scripture is useful in understanding the Nature of our Lord and Savior. Perhaps none are more useful in this regard than 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 which teaches us about love and therefore the Heart of God. It reads, “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. Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away.”
A wise man will take these Holy words to heart and commit them to action on Valentine’s Day AND each day of the year. This is the pathway by which men can love their wife or significant other as Christ so loved His church.
Valentine’s Day is a great day about love as an emotion and feeling and giving gifts of affection is a wonderful thing! As a Christian man, each day should be a day about love as an action as described above in 1 Corinthians.
The right next step is to read the 1 Corinthians Scripture and substitute your name in place of the word “love.” Then, the final and most critical step is implementation of what you just read about yourself. Enjoy Valentines Day and be sure to model the love of God on this day and every day.
Prayer: Thank you for showing us true Love as manifested in the Body and Blood of Your Son. Help us, dear God, to each day show Your love to the women that You have placed in our lives. Amen.
Meet the Author
Todd Shupe is a Certified Lay Minister and Men’s Ministry Specialist through Francis Asbury Methodist Church in Baton Rouge, LA. He is a Board Member for Gulf South Men, an Action Team member for The Kingdom Group, and a Board Member for the Lagniappe Country Walk to Emmaus. Todd is a contributor to Project XII and Baton Rouge Parents Magazine. He is a Past President of the Baton Rouge District of United Methodist Men and remains active in this and many other local, regional, and international ministries. Additionally, he’s the author of the inspiring book “Fathering A Special Needs Child.” Todd also enjoys filling the pulpit to share the Good News of our Lord and Savior. Todd is the proud father of Emma and Kyle and resides in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
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