I heard something amazing today. It was reported that 8 million people will send THEMSELVES a valentine. I have to admit that I have never thought of doing that. I’m not sure why a person would do that. I guess they want to get some mail.
I heard something else amazing today. Actually, it is quite disgusting and the product of a pathetic mind. USA Today reported that a radio station is giving away a free divorce for Valentine’s Day.
A rock station in West Virginia is running a contest, and the “winner” will get ten hours of legal assistance in filing a divorce. On their web site, giving instructions for how to enter the contest, they say, “Good Luck, and Happy Valentine’s Day from ROCK 105, your “I Hate Valentine’s Day” station!”
The station’s program director said: “There is the lighter side of Valentine’'s Day that’s all hearts and flowers. Then there’s the darker part, where maybe you despise your spouse and resent the entire day.” This person went on to say of the contest “It’s meant to be fun”.
One reporter said he thought this may be a hoax. Who knows. I guess we’ll find out eventually.
Even if this turns out to be a hoax, to even think of something like this is really pathetic. But, then, there are many pathetic things happening in our world these days. Sadly, many don’t really understand love.
So, let’s chat about it for a bit.
First, let’s go to the most quoted verse in the Bible.
John 3:16 NKJV
“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
Note that it says that, because God loved, He GAVE. Love is giving. Love is outward, not inward. The opposite of love is not hate, but it is selfishness. So, in thinking about love, think of an outward direction. Outward to someone else.
The definition of love that I like to use is one I heard a long time ago: Love is the accurate estimate, and adequate supply, of another person’s need.
That means that a person who shows love to another person identifies the other person’s need and does what they can to meet that need. It means that there will be an expense, sacrifice, effort - something that will cost the giver to benefit the person who is the recipient of the love. Hence, love meets real needs.
One of the reasons why so many human relationships are breaking up these days is that there is a lack of real love and too much focusing on self. As long as the three most important people in a person’s thinking are me, myself and I, their human relationships are headed for failure.
I’m thankful that I can know that God loves me. He really loves YOU, as well. It doesn’t matter what you have done, God loves you. His love makes His forgiveness available to anyone who asks for it. One Bible word is whosoever, that means anyone. And the context is that anyone who reaches out to Jesus and asks for forgiveness will receive it. They will have the love of God in their lives and begin to learn what real love is all about.
I have to admit that I feel sorry for those who have become so hardened to the real issues of love that they end up hating times like Valentine’s Day, because they are reminded of love. We all need love. God has an unlimited supply of it.
I trust that you have real love in your life. I trust that this day is a good one for you. I trust that I have stirred your thinking on this amazing topic of love.
