1 Cor 13:4-7
It is funny i know there are those who are not looking forward to valentines. It is not something I particularly spend a lot of attention on - pretty much every day is valentines day around here, hubby is that kind of guy.
Before I met my other half, I did not date anyone, didnt really think I was particuarly interesting in that regard. However I knew Valentines day bought saddness. All thaat love hearts and stuff - ick.
As I got older, I realised it really boiled down to being happy with me, and loving is not always the romantic interst kind of love.
The bible says love your neighbour as yourself and in this day and age, loving our neighbours is not the hard part. We do fairly well (with some exceptions) we fail a lot at loving ourselves.
We get sidetracked by the idea that the world shoves toward us that being in love is the be all and end all (and absoluetly just happens by the way and takes no work.) None of that is true.. love is work. Does not matter what kind of love you are thinking about, it will cost you.
Back to how to work on the love your neighbour as yourself.
Firstly neighbour is anyone who isnt you. Yes that includes anyone you already dismissed in your mind. Jesus used the example of a Samaritan. Samaritans to the Jewish people of the time was not someone they even noted, they would have crossed to the other side of the street before they ever walked near a samaritan, they were not chrisitans, and they were not Jewish. A samaritan was someone else entirely. Your neighbour is anyone who you already dismissed from your mind, and their religion is not even part of it .
The hardest thing for us however is understanding that the love your neighbour as you love yourself - means that it is fine to love yourself. It is fine to offer the same grace, respect and understanding to yourself as you would to anyone else. Not easy to do. But fine just the same.
If Valentines is difficult for you. Then there is a good chance you need to look at yourself. I realise we get set up by the social requirements and the lack of a romantic relationship makes people feel ... i dont know.. lost, alone and so on. The single greatest thing you can do for yourself is make peace with you, and settle it with God. Make your life depend only on God and on you - instead of hungering and wanting what you dont have. Be content with what you do have; with who you are. Pray for a partner if you wish but then leave it in God's hands.
In summary. Love. Be yourself. Trust God. Be genuine. You don't need to sign up to the social norm of the day... but there is no harm in buying a rose for yourself. Or for a stranger. Or for someone you know who is having a hard time. If you hate valentines.... maybe its time to re-evaluate.
