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Valentines Day — A Day for Extra Loving!
by Cheri J. Ekbom
"This love of which I speak is slow to lose patience—it looks for a way of being constructive. It is not possessive; it is neither anxious to impress nor does it cherish inflated ideas of its own importance.
"Love has good manners and does not pursue selfish advantage. It is not touchy. It does not keep account of evil or gloat over the wickedness of other people. On the contrary, it shares the joy of those who live by the truth. Love knows no limit to its endurance, no end to its trust, no fading of its hope; it can outlast anything. Love never fails."
- 1 Corinthians
13:4-8
This week we celebrate Valentine's Day. Will you be celebrating this holiday with a party at school? And what about valentines? Have you made any valentines for those special people in your life? It seems like everyone has fun celebrating this special little holiday, but do you know how this day came to be? Let's see if we can find out.
Valentine is actually the name of two people. Each of their names was Saint Valentine. One was a priest and the other a bishop (important names for church leaders) that lived long ago in the city of Rome.
Both were killed because of their faith in God. >From their deaths, Valentine's Day was remembered. We celebrate this day by remembering those people in our lives that we care for and love the most.
Who do you send valentines to...your Mom, Dad, grandparents, and friends? Valentines Day is a day for loving, isn't it? But do you know what? With Jesus living in our hearts we should be loving all the time, not just on February 14th. Jesus is the King of Love—not just for one holiday, but for everyday.
Wow. Love. It's only a four-letter word, but really, it's so much bigger than four letters. And it isn't just a word-it's a command. Jesus said in Matthew 22 that the most important commandment (rule) is to love God and the second most important is to love others.
There seems to be all kinds of rules in the Bible: don't kill, don't steal, don't be jealous, don't worry, don't pay back evil for evil, don't be afraid - don't do this don't do that. As Christians, we shouldn't be living our lives by the rule of "don'ts." Christianity is not about "don'ts" and obeying strict rules.
Christianity is about Love-God's love for us and God's love in us. It's the most important commandment in the Bible! We should be doing all that we can to obey the #1 and #2 commands: Loving God and loving others.
Really look at the words from the scripture today. Are you obeying all the parts of love? Yes, it seems impossible at times to be patient and not selfish, but God commands you to do it. You can. The King of Love, Jesus, is living on the inside of you to help you. He also sent His Holy Spirit to help you. You CAN walk in love. Just do it!
Love is God's best for you. And guess what else? The Bible says that when you obey the law of love, you will be obeying all of the laws and commands! You don't have to worry about worrying or being afraid and jealous.
If you REALLY KNOW just how big God's Love is for you and as you walk in that love for others, you truly will be obeying the #1 law—the law of Love. With God's love, now you can truly enjoy today and everyday. Happy Valentines Day, sweetie!
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