“This is not the most important relationship in your life.”
I remember a pastor speaking these words as he began a young couple’s wedding ceremony vows. It seems like a good day to talk about relationships, since Valentine’s Day is a holiday that surrounds us with either good or painful reminders. And maybe some of both. You may have a spouse or partner who loves you with romantic love, and you are showered with chocolates and flowers. Or you may dread the day because it taunts you with what you don’t have.
As a young girl, I wished I could be the one who received candy kisses and roses delivered during the school Valentine’s Day fundraiser. Some girls had desks filled with sweet treats and beautiful flowers. My desk was pretty empty. In fact, this was one of my least favorite days of the year because I didn’t have someone special. On the way home from school after one Valentine’s Day, I was in tears because my desk was almost empty, with only a few candy kisses and no flowers. In her sweet way, Mom talked about what really mattered on this day. She said that no expression of love comes close to the depth, extravagance, costly value, and comfort of Jesus’s love. His was the love that mattered in my life. People often fail us, but God never would. His love would never weaken or take a vacation, but would always hold me up.
The pastor began those wedding vows with that same truth. I did some research, and the word love is used almost 700 times in the Bible. But it is mentioned thousands of times in relation to God’s action on our behalf. God’s love is not marginal, but abounding, and He is not going away. Over 200 times, the Bible mentions His steadfast love, and over 50 times it talks about a love that endures forever. (Psalms 136:1). No human can promise us that kind of love.
One verse on my 2022 vision board is Zephaniah 3:17. He will take delight in you, He will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you
with singing. When I think about what this verse says, I picture God dancing and singing over me and you! He leaps with joy over the love He has for us. His heart is moved with such love that He bursts into rejoicing, and not because we do anything to deserve it. He loves us because we are His creation and His delight. And that is enough for me.
with singing. When I think about what this verse says, I picture God dancing and singing over me and you! He leaps with joy over the love He has for us. His heart is moved with such love that He bursts into rejoicing, and not because we do anything to deserve it. He loves us because we are His creation and His delight. And that is enough for me. My conversation with Mom that day carried me through quite a few lonely Valentine’s Days, but her word always reminded me I was not alone. God was there, carrying out His promise of extravagant, deep, and unconditional love. Whether you enjoy this day or dread it, be reminded that the true love of your life is waiting for you. On this Valentine’s Day, I pray you would fully receive the best gift in the world—God’s perfect love. It’s the most important relationship in your life.
Happy Valentine’s Day <3
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