As you read this, Valentine’s Day is only 10 days away! Men are you panicking like me, or do you have all your plans under control? Faithful readers of my writings will recall that Valentine’s Day is definitely not my forte. I’ve had some epic fails (e.g. the year of the cake pans gift) and as I get older, well, sometimes not much of anything happens at all. Why can’t I get better at this universal celebration of “love”???
I’ve been thinking about Valentine’s Day in the context of the theme for this school year “Feel the Power!” based on 2 Timothy 1:7 which reads: “For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.” Throughout this school year we’ve been focusing on the spirit of power that we receive from God. But see that this verse also notes the spirit of love we receive from our Lord. Sadly, our culture has many misbegotten ideas about love that focus on extravagant giving, sexual licentiousness, idealized romanticism, and more. But that’s not the spirit of love that Jesus exemplifies and gives to us. Christian love is about sacrifice, servanthood, and humility. So as Valentine’s Day approaches don’t let the culture and commercialism of this “day of love” distract you from the true spirit of sacrificial love you receive from God. “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.” John 15:12.