Selfless Love.

Well, today is Valentine's day.  Valentine's day has the potential to be a really great holiday, but the way that our culture views this Hallmark holiday is very discouraging actually.  In the eyes of our culture, there are four understandable ways for normal, "rational" people to approach Valentine's day.  First, couples enjoy the day together, showering each other with tokens of affection.  Second, people desperately seek a valentine so that they will not have the misfortune of ending up alone on Valentine's day. Third, some singles mope about spending the holiday alone, feeling sorry for themselves and reminiscing about their last breakup.  Lastly, other singles are in denial.  Some people have an "anti-Valentine's day" attitude in order to feel empowered and avoid loneliness.  That's how our culture says people should spend Valentine's day.  What a joke!  That's not a description of people who are rational, and it's certainly not a good example of how people should spend this holiday!  Valentine's day is not about having someone to spend it with so that you can be happy.  Valentine's day is about love, and love is supposed to be selfless.

There is only one true example of perfect, selfless love that the world has ever known: the love of God.  God loved us so much He gave us a visible example of that perfect love through the person of Jesus Christ. Humans are corrupt because of our depravity.  We cannot completely escape from our selfishness even if we want to.  However, through the process of sanctification, where we become more Christlike through God's grace, we can start to love in a more selfless way and have a purer type of love to offer to others.  This Valentine's day, I'm reminded to be thankful for the selfless love of my Lord and the incapability of me to truly love others without His gracious intervention.  My prayer is that Valentine's day can be about praising the Lord for His love for us, loving and adoring Him, loving others by His grace, and finding ways to love God more through the people we love that He has placed in our lives.  When I look at the love of God, the love of man seems so much less meaningful.  There are many people on this earth that I love, but without God, not only would I not be blessed with their presence in my life, but I wouldn't even be capable of loving them.  This Valentine's day, and every Valentine's day, take the time to try to love God more.  Pray more selflessly.  Love others in a more Christlike way.  Thank God for His love, and for your capability to love.  I feel pretty convicted right now.  It's a feeling I'm coming to really appreciate more and more though, it makes me feel closer to my Lord.  Admitting my faults and weaknesses and seeking refuge in Him allows me to experience His grace and love in a way I never could otherwise.  Happy Valentine's day!!  Enjoy the Lord and His gracious love today!

"Prove me, Oh Lord, and try me; test my heart and my mind.  For your steadfast love is before my eyes, and I walk in your faithfulness." Psalm 26:2-3