Red Roses, Chocolate or Patience? by Tamera Ford

Hello Valentines Day!  Some may think it’s silly to dedicate a holiday to love, not me. I enjoy having red roses, pink balloons and candy hearts lying around to remind me the importance of love. Granted, having or giving those things does not define love but just seeing them makes me think:

“Love someone today!” Love goes beyond a box of chocolates, it is powerful, life altering, the ultimate display of God! He is love, pure and undefiled and he describes what that looks like in 1 Corinthians 13:4-8. 

Love endures long and is patient and kind; 

love never is envious nor boils over with jealousy, 

is not boastful or vainglorious, 

does not display itself haughtily.

It is not conceited (arrogant and inflated with pride); 

it is not rude (unmannerly) and does not act unbecomingly. 

Love (God's love in us) does not insist on its own rights 

or its own way, 

for it is not self-seeking; 

it is not touchy or fretful or resentful; 

it takes no account of the evil done to it 

[it pays no attention to a suffered wrong].

It does not rejoice at injustice and unrighteousness, 

but rejoices when right and truth prevail.

Love bears up under anything and everything that comes, 

is ever ready to believe the best of every person, 

its hopes are fadeless under all circumstances, 

and it endures everything [without weakening].

Love never fails [never fades out or becomes obsolete or comes to an end].

As fun as hearts and roses are, we don’t need them to be reminded to love, we have the Spirit of God residing within us. He will always lead us to love. Until the Lord Jesus returns we have been given faith, hope and love, developing in these will cause us to live full and fulfilled lives!

13:13 But for right now, until that completeness, we have three things to do to lead us toward that consummation: Trust steadily in God, hope unswervingly, love extravagantly. And the best of the three is love.

Let’s not wait till February 14th to love someone. As Christians we should be ahead of the game. Walk in love today, instead of setting a teddy bear on someone's desk, chose not to be touchy or resentful. Speak words of life instead of taking account of the evil done. Amen!