Love is Bigger

Happy Valentines Day!
I have to admit, I've never been really excited about February 14 and I often forget about it. But I think its good to have a day (albeit a very commercialized day) to completely focus on loving others. As I thought about love this morning, I was hit by how misunderstood it is. Listen to what Paul says about love:

"And I will show you a still more excellent way. If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing....Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends."

 If our culture has one thing completely backwards, its love. Paul never defines love as a feeling. Its not happiness, or contentment or butterflies. No, love is an action. Its patient, kind, enduring- a choice.
"If I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing." Nothing. The hugeness and power of love has always astounded me. Think about it today.

And so as the rest of the world is giving chocolates, forcing their boyfriends to see The Vow, and using today as their once-a-year excuse to show affection, lets remember that love is bigger than that. And let us love today.

 

Happy Valentine's Day, everyone! 

~ Olivia