Serving the High Plains
Serving the High Plains
Feb. 14 is Valentine’s Day, which I love as a celebration of love. But there’s a lot about its origin I didn’t previously know.
First, there are more than one Saint Valentine and the Feb. 14 holiday honors at least two — one in Rome and one in present day Terni, Italy, and maybe a third in Africa, although numerous martyrs were named Valentine. Some churches honor the different Valentines on different dates.
The Romans martyred all of the Valentines for their acts of love and service to God by ministering to persecuted Christians. The Valentine card is based on an 18th-century tradition that one of the Valentines wrote a letter to his jailor’s daughter right before his execution, signing it, “Your Valentine.” He had converted and baptized her and all the jailer’s household.
That love should be naturally and openly evident in Christians is a strongly recurring theme in the Bible (1 John 4:7-21). Jesus commanded love and prayed for unity through love just so others would recognize us has Christians (John 13:34-35; 17:20-23).
Most people assert that love must be earned by the recipient and even developed by the giver. That last part is at least true, for humans. Otherwise, God loved us first showing how we’re to love even our enemies, even if our love is unrequited, because there’s no benefit in good deeds that aren’t based in love (Romans 5:6-11; Matthew 5:34-48; 1 Corinthians 13:1-3; 16:14).
While loving our enemies may not seem easy, remember that obeying all of God’s commands is possible and none of his commands is burdensome (Philippians 4:13; 1 John 5:1-5). When we love our enemies and do good for them, we might make them into friends forever (Romans 12:14; Luke 6:27-36; 16:8-9).
Although love is God’s natural trait that we cannot be separated from as long as we remain obedient to him, we must continually work on it so it can develop and increase in our lives as a fruit of the Spirit — God’s indwelling presence in our lives (Romans 8:28-39; 2 Peter 1:3-11; Galatians 5:22-25; 6:7-10; Romans 6:3-7; Acts 2:38-39; 5:32). The Spirit actually gives us life; so we don’t want to quench his presence (Romans 8:9-11; Ephesians 4:30; Hebrews 3:7-11).
Most new Christians readily express love to all, including their past enemies, but over time that love can wane and be lost altogether, especially if we become focused on all the evil and dissension surrounding us (Matthew 24:12-13; 2 Timothy 3:12-13). So, we’re encouraged to concentrate on the good (Philippians 4:4-9; James 1:12). For this reason, we must remember God’s love for us daily, as of first importance, and recommit ourselves to completely obeying him (1 Corinthians 15:1-5; Revelation 2:4-6; John 15:9-12; 14:15-21; Luke 6:46-49; James 1:22-25; 1 John 1:5-9).
Does Christ’s love of compel you to live so others can see his love for them (2 Corinthians 5:11-21; 1 Peter 2:11-12; 3:15-16)? That’s how Jesus, the Valentines, and all the martyrs lived (Hebrews 11:32-40; 12:1-4; 10:32-39).
Leonard Lauriault is a member of the Church of Christ in Logan who writes about faith for the Quay County Sun. Contact him at [email protected].