"for God is love." -1 John 4:8b (NLT)
St. Valentine was a third century Roman bishop who lived during the time of Emperor Claudius. Tradition holds that Claudius outlawed marriage for young men. He believed that unmarried soldiers fought better than married ones because they weren't worried about leaving wives and families behind. Valentine disobeyed the law by secretly helping young couples get married in the Christian church. Ultimately, he was caught and martyred for his disobedience and his faith. Over time Valentine became known as the patron saint of lovers. In modern times Valentine's day has become a day to spotlight and even glorify romantic love. Over the next few days let's look at how the Bible and probably Valentine would encourage us to celebrate this sacred day.
Day 1 - Love God
“But I have this complaint against you. You don't love me or each other as you did at first!" Revelation 2:4 (NLT)
In this verse, we see Jesus is warning the church of Ephesus about their lack of love for God. They were doing impressive things outwardly, but the motivation for their actions wasn't love. This verse can challenge us, just like it did the church of Ephesus, to get back to loving Jesus and each other as we once did. This world and its messages can distract us from living out a pure devotion to Jesus. We must remain watchful over our hearts so that we don't fall prey to counterfeit loves. Protect your heart so you can "love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind." Matthew 22:37 (NLT)
Digging Deeper
- Identify and share what is coming between you and your first love.
- How can you rekindle your love for God again?
