Valentine's Day...

Love...
            amor...
                          amour...
                                            amore...

image courtesy of Pixomar
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It would be so simple if love were nothing but candlelight, flattering poetry and chocolate...

The world around us is full of confusing definitions of what love is, what it should look like. But the kind of love celebrated in the world is sometimes cheap and hollow because it takes more than it gives.

I am so glad that God gave us such a clear definition of what love is. You can read 1 Corinthians 13 here if you'd like. God uses words like patient, kind and unfailing to describe love.

Leviticus 19:18 tells us who we should love: "but you shall love your neighbor as yourself." And God even tells us why we should love this way: "I am the LORD."

Loving out of humble response to God's love goes against what the world tells us - namely that love should feel good. Sometimes loving is hard. Sometimes people are un-lovely. But God doesn't give us an out. He doesn't say, Love your neighbor as long as they are nice to you....That is easy. God isn't after the quick and simple...He is after our hearts!

True love takes effort. True love stretches us in amazing ways. True love changes our heart toward the ones we love. True love draws us nearer to God.

True love is the gift I wish for each of you, dear readers, this Valentine's Day.

1 John 4: 16 - 18 (New Living Translation)
We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in his love.
God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them. And as we live in God, our love grows more perfect. So we will not be afraid on the day of judgment, but we can face him with confidence because we live like Jesus here in this world.
Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not fully experienced his perfect love.

Happy Valentine's Day!