Happy Valentine’s Day!!! This is an annual festival to celebrate romantic love,
friendship and admiration. Every year on 14 February people celebrate this day by
sending messages of love and affection to partners, family and friends.
On Valentine’s Day it is appropriate to think about love and marriage. What about
some ideas on how to maintain a “Valentine’s Day” atmosphere in your relationship
with your special someone throughout the rest of the year as well?
When love is viewed as a verb, its focus is on giving not receiving. Patience with others is Love; patience with self is Hope; and patience with God is Faith. To love someone deeply gives you strength. Being loved by someone deeply gives you courage.
Let’s look at these love ideas from a biblical point of view. It’s as easy as 1, 2, 3… My
wife and I have been married more than sixty years; she is “My Special Valentine”, and
I am hers. I’d like to comment further on each of these eight thoughts.
- PRAY – First, when you pray, do so from the heart – earnestly, and be specific.
Remember, your prayer is directed to God; in the Lord’s Prayer Jesus taught us to whom we should pray. He said OUR FATHER (emphasis is mine). “Our Father who is in heaven, Hallowed be Your name.” Matt 6:9 - TOGETHER – Jesus said when two or more are gathered in His name, He’s there
too. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus told us to pray corporately…“For where two or three gather together as my followers, I’m there with them.” Matt 18:20 Of course, God always hears us when we pray alone too. An example of this is when Jesus prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane the night He was betrayed. - OUT LOUD – When Jesus was hanging on the cross He called out loud, “Father,
forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing.” Luke 23:34 When we pray out loud it helps us to express our feelings and needs more clearly, with genuine emotion and clarity of thought. - EVERY DAY– The power of prayer is so great it defeats the devil and his power
over us. Satan wants to destroy us, but God wants to bring us closer to Him. Prayer is our tool to win that battle. Frequent prayer gives us the strength and the faith to finish the race victorious. Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank Him for all He has done. Phil 4:6 - HOLDING HANDS – Do this whenever you pray together. Praying together brings a couple closer together. If one of you is out of town or away from home, use the
telephone and pray together over the phone, or send prayer texts. Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. Col 4:2 - COMPLIMENT AND ENCOURAGE ONE ANOTHER – When you give sincere
encouragement and compliments to your “Valentine”, several things happen. Their self-confidence increases, as well as your own self-worth. A compliment to your “Valentine” demonstrates your appreciation and makes them feel cherished and valued. So encourage each other and build each other up… 1 Thess 5:11 - USE PHRASES LIKE…Thank you, I’m sorry, You’re right, I never thought of it that
way, Pardon me, etc. These gentle and soft words prevent hurt and
misunderstandings. Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you. Eph 4:31 - KISS EACH OTHER AT LEAST ONCE EACH DAY – Kiss…not just on the
forehead or cheek. but on the lips and say, “I Love You” and mean it. If you are apart and can’t do this in person, do it on the phone. A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another. John 13:34-35
The best way for us to celebrate Valentine’s Day is to remember the love of God. The Bible says, ‘for God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son…’ It is a time of giving. Whatever our hands touch, we leave fingerprints! On walls, on furniture, on doorknobs, dishes, books. There’s no escape. As we touch, we leave our identity. Oh God, wherever we go today Help us leave ‘heartprints’! ‘Heartprints’ of compassion, of understanding and love. ‘Heartprints’ of kindness, and genuine concern.
Leave a Reply