Valentines Day
What comes to your mind when you think of Valentines Day? For some people, theres excitement and joy. Maybe you have new love that is just blooming, and this is a day to celebrate and look forward to what is to come. Maybe you have a deep rooted love that is strong and sweeter now that you've been through the fires and love has been refined.
Maybe your heart sinks. You're looking for that love and it hasn't come yet. Or you've lost a love. This day is just a reminder of the love that you don't have.
There could be a hundred different scenarios that either make you look forward to, or dread today.
Wherever you are on the spectrum, whatever your feelings are of love right now, I encourage you to take time to come to the feet of LOVE.
In the Bible there are four different words used for love. The first three are:
Storge- empathetic love
Philia - friendship love
Eros- romantic love
These loves are beautiful, they are gifts from our Creator. But their purpose is to point us to the ultimate LOVE- Jesus.
Agape is the word that is used for God's love for us. It is unconditional. It is His gift to us. We did nothing to deserve this love. There is nothing we can do to make Agape love more. It is already deeper and more beautiful than we could ever imagine. All of the other words for love, are mere reflections. In a way its like the difference between looking at a picture of breathtaking scenery and being there in person. When you look at the picture, you get a glimpse of the beauty and majesty of the scene. But if you are there in person, you know that no camera could ever capture the fullness of what you see. The picture is still beautiful, but its just that, a picture.
The love that we have for each-other is the same. It is beautiful, and its a gift. But it's purpose is more than just being a beautiful picture. The love that we have for one another was never meant to fill the void we have for Love, but in its own beautifully created way was meant to point us to the One who can fill- because He is LOVE.
The picture of love between each-other is supposed to give us a glimpse of a greater LOVE, one that we aren't satisfied with just seeing a picture- but that we want to experience for ourselves.
His LOVE is not one that merely looks on from a distance, but reaches into the deepest parts of who we are, drawing us into fellowship with Him. He calls us into intimacy with Him.
It is His love that fully satisfies.
When we seek Him for that fulfillment, we don't need to seek it from those around us. That doesn't mean that we don't need love from people- we were created in His image, and God Himself exists in community as God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. We were created for community, first with God, and then with other people. But if we are not filled with His love first, we wont really be able to love others. We will be seeking to satisfy our own desires. True love is not seeking our own desires, but choosing to love and serve others. Agape.
There is purpose and beauty in both Love with Jesus, and love with people. But before we go seeking love with each-other, let us go to the Author of LOVE, the One who is LOVE. The One who can satisfy and fill our LOVE overflowing, so that we can then love others.
Friend, if you have love, let it be love that points you to Him. Let the beauty of it remind you of the deep, unwavering, faithful LOVE Jesus has for you.
And sweet friend who is waiting, or hurting, you are not forgotten. You are not overlooked. You are not behind. You are LOVED more than you can ever imagine. Let that truth sink deep into your soul. Let that thought encourage you to wait for the one who will love you well- for the one who has His LOVE.
While you wait, dig deep into the well of His LOVE.
It never runs dry.
So may this day be a celebration, wherever you are in your story. Let this day be a celebration of His Agape LOVE for us
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