A Valentine’s Day Opportunity

Couples holding hands, red roses, heart-shaped chocolates… they all remind us of Valentine’s Day, the day of love. How much time do we spend on our loved ones on February 14th? We buy them chocolates, take them out to dinner, and show the extent of our love to them. But how much time do we spend on our True Love, Jesus Christ?

"For God so loved the world that he gave his only son that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life." -John 3:16

"Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends." -John 15:13

"And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’" -Mark 12:30

If Jesus loved us with everything and died for us, we should love Him with everything in return. But on the day of the year that is all about love, we often forget to focus on loving Jesus. We often forget His great love for us! We should show our love to Jesus and pour out His love to others this Valentine's Day.

How can you show your love for Jesus? 4 suggestions:

1. Spend extra time in the Word and in prayer. When you love someone, you spend time with them and get to know them better. It's the same in our relationship with Jesus. Listen to what He says in the Bible and speak to Him through prayer. He never tires of spending time with His children.

2. Write a note to someone telling them how much you love them, or better yet, how much Jesus loves them. Think about how you would feel if you received a Valentine's Day note - it would make your day. Writing a note is a way to show the love of Christ to others and an incredible Gospel-sharing opportunity. What better way to love someone than to share life-saving news with them?

3. Be kind. Go out of your way to show someone how much you love them. It could be something as simple as holding the door for a classmate or making dinner for your family. You could compliment a stranger or start a conversation with someone you meet at Starbucks. Jesus consistently put others' happiness and needs before His own in His time on Earth. Often, the simplest actions are the most difficult and the most meaningful.

4. Focus on Jesus throughout the day. He wants our love and tells us to set our thoughts on things above (Colossians 3:2). Set your thoughts on Him! When you focus on Christ's love, your actions will be motivated by a desire to serve Him and to love Him back. The Israelites in the Old Testament didn't honor God because they didn't remember what He had done for them. Remember how Jesus has loved you.

These ideas are by no means confined to Valentine's Day! You can write a note to someone any day and they will appreciate it beyond measure. We should be showing kindness and spending time with Jesus every day. We should be focused on Jesus every second.

Does loving Jesus on Valentine's Day mean that I shouldn't focus on my boyfriend or girlfriend? (Can also apply to loved ones) Of course you should show love to your significant other on Valentine's Day and every day! However, your love for others should be motivated by your love for Christ. If your boyfriend or girlfriend pulls you away from Christ, take a step back and refocus your mind. Consider spending a few minutes away from them and in the Word.

Loving Jesus doesn't mean pushing others away. In fact, it means the opposite. Loving Jesus should make you love others more. It should make you want to do crazy things to show love to others! But remember, Jesus shouldn't be a motivator of love; He should be the motivator. He is the only thing in life that matters. Don't forget to focus on Jesus while spending time with loved ones. Maybe you could have a Valentine's Day Bible study or watch a Christian movie with someone you love.

Go out and show the love of Christ this Valentine's Day! If we remember how much Christ loves us - to the point where He was willing to die a horrible death - we should want to and be just as willing to show love to others. How are you going to love Jesus this Valentine's Day?