Valentine's Day, God's Way!

The other day I passed by a church in our area with a sign that read, “If you want to be loved, you’ve got to be lovable.”  As I passed by and let the words sink in, I thought to myself, what a terrible saying. I think the message was meant to be a spin on the old saying, “If you want to have friends, you need to be a friend.” Nonetheless, I immediately felt there was something wrong with the sign. 

For one, during this month of Valentine’s Day, with its emphasis on love and romance, the sign seems to imply there is something wrong with the person who finds themselves alone and without that “special someone.” The implication is, if you aren’t experiencing love you must not be “lovable.”  And, that is just not true.  In fact, I want to say to all my single friends out there who do not have that “special someone” in their life right now, it is not because you are in someway defective or unlovable!  You may have not yet met the right person or God may have some other plan for your life. But, it is not because you are unlovable!

Secondly, I thought of how many times I have been unlovable towards my wife and those who are close to me. Yet, Kim and so many others around me have continued to love me. I’m very thankful today that my marriage to Kim and her love for me is not predicated on each of us always being “lovable.”  Rather, our love for one another is one of commitment and thus, longevity.  Even when one of us is acting a bit unlovable, we continue to love each other. That is the kind of love a real marriage is based upon. In fact, that is the kind of love that manifests itself in any true relationship. 

Finally and most importantly, I am glad that God did not wait until I was lovable before he loved me.  In fact, none of us were all that lovable, yet God loved us so much that he sent his One and Only Son, Jesus, to die for us.

The Bible says, “This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.” (1 John 4:10 – NIV) And, “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8 – NIV) The Bible goes on to tell us that even while we were God’s enemies, God reconciled us to himself through Jesus! 

This is Valentine’s Day, God’s way:  To love the unlovable! 

Let’s be thankful this Valentine’s Day and always for a God who loved us long before we were lovable. And, let’s commit ourselves to showing that kind of love to others.

Have a great day! 

Pastor Tim Harris

www.pifny.org