by Judi Doss
The first thing that comes to most people's mind when they
think of the month of February is Valentine's Day. This is partly because Valentine's Day is
hyped up so much when we are children.
We make little "mailboxes" in school and then deliver Valentine's Day
cards to all our friends. We are taught
that you must have a card for everyone because that is the nice thing to
do. However, we are also taught that
this holiday is about love. I remember
thinking as a kid in elementary school that I didn't like everyone in my class
and sure didn't love everyone. I grew up
thinking that this holiday is silly and to this day still do.
As I've gotten older I've begun to wonder why I dislike this
holiday so much. I am married and very
much in love, so that's not the problem.
This year I believe I've figured it out.
I was never truly taught growing up what it meant to love. The word love is so commonly thrown around. We love ice cream, we love the beach, we love
our children. In our culture today in a
lot of ways the word love has lost its impact.
How do we use the same word to show our affection for ice cream and our
children?
What does the dictionary say love is? It says that
love is "a profoundly tender, passionate affection for another person."
(Dictionary.com) This is probably closest to what many of us think of when we
think of love. But what does God say
love is? "Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it
is not proud. It is not rude, 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." (1 Corinthians 13:4-8a)
Many of us have heard this passage from time to time, but have we ever
taken the time to truly look at what it is saying?
If love is patient, what if I chose to continue pursuing my friend who
has fallen away from church instead of giving up her? If love is not easily angered, what if I
chose to bite my tongue instead of telling my husband what I really feel every
time he upsets me? If love is not
self-seeking, why don't I put more time into serving the church without
expecting a thank you? If love keeps no
record of wrongs, what if I did not bring up the past every time even if I feel
like it is valid? Obviously none of us
are perfect, but if this is the way God wants us to love I have no doubt that
He will provide in us the ability to do so.
So my challenge for you during the month of February is to focus on
what love really is and give this type of love to the people you come in
contact with. Buy the Hallmark cards if
you feel it's necessary, but don't let your celebration of this holiday stop there. Let your focus be on how God defines love,
and see the ways He chooses to use you as you attempt to love like Christ.
