Showing posts with label Valentine's. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Valentine's. Show all posts
This
Valentine’s Day, men and women alike will try to outdo the opposite sex by
purchasing the freshest bouquet of roses, the sweetest box of chocolates, or
the most costly piece of jewelry they can afford. Others may purchase weekend getaways, new
automobiles, gourmet dinners, and the like.
Children will cut out hearts and write Valentines to their parents,
teachers, family, and friends. But even
amid all of this red and pink and everything from heart-shaped candies to ice
cubes shaped like X’s and O’s, is this really the best way to convey our love
for one another? Perhaps in all of our haste
to wrap the right gift, we may have lost the meaning of Valentine’s Day
altogether. Love is not found inside a
greeting card or even a chocolate truffle.
Love is found through our actions.
How we talk to others, how we treat them, and what we do for them every
day of the year. That’s love.
From the Creation of the world, love has been the glue that
holds everything together. It was with love
that God so carefully placed the sun, moon, and stars. Through love, he created bodies of water and
dry land. He knew we would need
nourishment, so he provided a vast array of plants and animals that would
produce food for us to eat. Then, he
knew we had an inherent need to feel loved, so he gave Adam a companion as a
helpmate. Even though the world has
experienced its fair share of tumult since the moment that pristine Garden of
Eden was planted by God’s own hands, one thing has never changed. God has never stopped loving me and you.
John
3:16 says, “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that
whosoever believes in him should have eternal life.” Throughout the centuries, people have blasphemed,
ridiculed, and scorned our Heavenly Father.
Yet because of his infinite mercy, he pours out his unconditional love
to every man, woman, boy, and girl on this earth. Romans 5:8 says, “But God demonstrates his
own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” God gave his only Son to save us all, even
though we were sinners. He looks beyond
our shortcomings, our mistakes, our wrongdoings. He looks into the heart of the individual and
knows they have an inherent need to be loved.
Through an unselfish sacrifice of love, we have been redeemed. Through love, we find salvation. This kind of love is greater than we can
fully comprehend.
Love is not just a feeling for someone. To love someone means you are willing to do something
on their behalf. John 15:3 says, “Greater love has
no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” This does not mean we should be crucified on
a cross. This means we should put others
first, sacrificing our own needs to show God’s love toward others. A parent’s love is likely the closest example
to Christ’s perfect love displayed by a human.
A mother or father sleeps lightly, ready to jump up at the first cry of
their child. They don’t leap out of bed
at 4 o’clock in the morning because they despise sleep; they do it out of love
for their son or daughter. They would do
anything to ensure their child’s well-being is put before their own needs. That’s unconditional love.
Love is
something that cannot be bought or sold.
It can only be given away. The only
question is what kind of love we will show to others. Will we send a Get Well card in the mail, or
will we pick up the telephone to see how someone is really doing? Will we give someone a gift card to their
favorite restaurant, or will we go out of our way to prepare a home-cooked meal
for someone who is living alone, with no family to call their own? Will we stay home on Sunday morning or will
we go to the House of the Lord to worship and praise him for the unmerited
favor and matchless love that he has shown toward us? While every act of love is a blessing to the
recipient, the greatest thing we can do is to be a reflection of the love of
Jesus Christ to everyone we meet. I John
3:16 says, “This is how we know what love is: Christ gave his life for us.” Jesus Christ is the perfect example of
love. He didn’t just send a Valentine card. He gave his life so we could have our sins
washed white as snow, and in turn, receive everlasting life. That is the greatest example of love ever
shown since the beginning of time. There
truly is no greater love!
In Christ's Love,
Jennifer
My dad is one of the best examples of Christ’s love that I
have ever known. He loves me so much
that he would truly do anything to ensure my well-being, safety, and
health. That’s how fathers and mothers
are. They would run into a burning
building, or dash in front of a moving truck, in an effort to protect their
children. So how much more did our
Heavenly Father love us? So much that He
gave His only Son to show His love for us.
John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, that
whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” God didn’t just give His Son’s life for one
or two people. He gave His only Son for
every man, woman, boy, and girl on this earth.
When was the last time you said, “I love you,” to someone
you know? Was it this morning at
breakfast? Or last night before you went
to bed? Sometimes, we just get
busy. Before you know it, a day, a week,
or even a month may go by before we realize we have not recently told our loved
ones how much we love them. Funny, isn’t
it? How can we become so busy that we do
not tell the ones we love that we love them? Sure, they know this already; however, we all
have an inherent need to be loved. We
all need to hear those three little words every now and then. Of course, sometimes love is shown in a
different way and requires no verbalizing whatsoever.
Consider the love of Jesus Christ. He didn’t just send us a card on Valentine’s
Day. He didn’t send us a text message,
follow us on Twitter, or befriend us on Facebook. And He didn’t make a phone call, send a
letter, or e-mail us either. No. Jesus Christ died to show us how great His love
is for us. I John 3:16 says, “This is
how we know what love is; Jesus laid down His life for us.” The Bible clearly states that love is the
selfless act of Jesus giving His life for us.
He loved us so much that He endured the agony of the cross, so that we
might have eternal life in Heaven. The
Son of the living God went above and beyond every gift ever given in the
history of mankind. He gave His life.
Not just for a particular person of a certain race, culture,
socioeconomic status, or other demographical statistic. Jesus Christ died for every single person on
the planet.
As Jesus Christ hung on the cross, He thought of you. He knew you needed redemption. He knew you needed a friend. He knew you needed to be loved. He didn’t die for fame or fortune. He didn’t die to have His name engraved on a
plaque in a prominent place or have His picture on the cover of People
Magazine. Jesus Christ died to cleanse
us of our sins. I am a sinner. You are a sinner. We are all sinners. The Bible says that everyone has sinned and
fallen short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23).
God’s Word also states, “He was pierced for our
transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities”
(Isaiah 53:5). It doesn’t say that He
was pierced for the transgressions of criminals, murderers, or abusers. It says He was pierced for our transgressions. He bore all of the pain and suffering for
everyone. Why? Because that is how much He loves us.
No matter what you’ve done in your life,
there is no place beyond the reach of Jesus Christ. He can make the vilest sinner clean. Maybe you have taken drugs to the point where
you think life is pointless. Perhaps you
have consumed enough alcohol that you have medical concerns being raised. You may be abusing your family, whether
physically or verbally. In spite of all
you have done, there is forgiveness found through Jesus Christ. As Christ hung on the cross, one of the
criminals hanging next to Him said, “Remember me” (Luke 23:42). He had likely never walked in the door of a
church. He may have never read the
Bible, given to his favorite charity, or even said a kind word to anyone. But he believed that Jesus Christ had the
divine power to redeem him of his sins.
Jesus said, “Today you will be with me in Paradise” (Luke 23:43).
Jesus Christ extends the same grace and mercy to you. Romans 10:9 states, “If you declare with your
mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe
in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” There is no special
prayer or secret code. It is simple
enough that a child can understand. Just
call on the name of Jesus Christ.
Believe that He is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords who arose on the
third day. Put your trust in Jesus
Christ today and you will be saved. He
will cleanse your sins, mend your broken heart, and fill your mind with peace
that passes all understanding. There is
hope in Jesus Christ. He loves you more
than you could ever imagine! That’s why
Jesus gave His life: for love.
In Christ’s Love,
Jennifer
John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world that He gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.” Think about this scripture. The God of the universe gave the only Son that He had just for you and me. He did not just send a bouquet of flowers or a box of candy. He gave His only Son. Jesus died on a cross, enduring excruciating pain and agony, so we could receive the gift of eternal life. Our Heavenly Father loved us so much that He gave a priceless gift. This kind of love is unlike any found on this earth.
We often say we love a particular animal, a food, a place, or some other thing. Personally, I love to travel, I love to bake, I love to write, I love to sing, I love to spend time with my family, and so much more. But this type of love is different from the type of love I show toward people. I love my dad, my grandma, and so many other special people. Yet, even though I love them more than words can express, Jesus loves me more than I could ever possibly imagine.
The love poured out upon us by Jesus Christ is unconditional, no strings attached. He loved us when we were still sinners. When we were unlovable, He loved us. Every moment of every day that we have lived on this earth, He has loved us with His amazing love. Before you were even born, He loved the very thought of you. Still today, He loves you with an everlasting love. Won’t you love Him in return?
Before you go to bed tonight, tell Jesus that you love Him. Thank Him for giving His life for you. Ask Him to come into your heart, so that you can enjoy eternal life. He will fill your heart with peace that passes all understanding. He will restore your joy, even in the direst circumstances. Jesus Christ is the friend who truly will stick closer to you than a brother. This Valentine’s Day, don’t just fall in love with that box of chocolates that someone gave you. Fall in love with the greatest Love of all. Fall in love with Jesus Christ!
In Christ’s Love,
Jennifer