Valentine’s Day is my least favorite holiday. There. I said it out loud. And it’s not because I’m alone and bitter, or I have relationship issues or anything like that. Quite the contrary. But still.
Valentine’s Day thrives on guilt and cultural pressure to make a person express sentiments of affection and love. How genuine could those expressions be after they’ve been teased out over the requisite nice dinner/flowers/candy. I mean, if you wouldn’t say it July or October, why should I believe it on February 14?
In thinking about Valentine’s Day, it made me wonder if we give our relationship with God that same treatment? Is it based on culturally expected declarations of love and devotion? Are we guilted into picking up the latest token to show our affection? Have we checked off Christmas and figure once Easter is passed we’ve done what’s expected of us until next year?
He deserves so much more than our obligatory, cursory commitment.
- This is God who delights in us (Psalm 18:19, Isaiah 62:4)
- Who sings over us (Zephaniah 3:17)
- Who comforts us (2 Corinthians 1:3-4)
- Who defends us (Psalm 5:11)
- Who lifted us up (Psalm 3:3, Psalm 147:6)
- Who loved us with an everlasting love (Jeremiah 31:3)
- Who laid aside His glory in order to identify Himself with us (Philippians 2:7-8)
- Who died a horrible death because the prospect of being separated from us for all eternity was too much to bear (John 3:16)
This Valentines’ Day, regardless of what your relationship status is, take a moment to bask in God’s perfect love for you.