There really isnāt any other day on earth like it.Ā If you just look at Valentineās Day by the numbers, it boggles the brain a bit:
ā„Ā $130.97Ā ā The average estimated amount an individual will spend on Valentine’s Day.
ā„Ā $224 millionĀ ā The estimated number of roses grown for Valentine’s Day.
ā„Ā $18.6 billion ā TheĀ projected total amount Americans will spend for Valentine’s Day.
ā„Ā $1.6 billionĀ ā The amount people will spend on candy
ā„Ā $1.9 billionĀ ā The amount people willĀ spend on flowers
ā„Ā $4.4 billionĀ ā The amount people willĀ spend on diamonds, gold, and silver
Not only that, but over 6 million folks will propose on February 14th, and if you are a member of the club that sees Valentineās Day as S.A.D. (i.e., Single Awareness Day), you can actually pick up a Valentineās card and/or treat for your pet!
But then after the hundreds of pounds of chocolate have been gobbled, and the millions of cards have been exchanged, and the billions of dollars spent, their comes the inevitable follow upā
February 15
Thatās the day when we go back to our daily grind, and all that focus on love typically gets thrown out with the wrappers and cards.Ā This probably happens because we put so much emphasis on the temporary and emotionally-driven feeling called love, which is why it is so important to remember that God sends us a very different message:
For the mountains may move
and the hills disappear,
but even then my faithful love for you will remain.
My covenant of blessing will never be broken,ā
says the Lord, who has mercy on you (Isaiah 54:10).
Isnāt this amazing?Ā Long after our flowers have faded and the feelings have waned, Godās love endures beyond even the foundations of the earth!Ā Thatās because His love for us isnāt centered in our beauty, behavior or even our love for Him.Ā Godās love flows from the unconditional affection and commitment of the perfect Fatherās heart.
And here is the best part. When we decide to share the love that God has for us with others, it will have an eternal impact. In fact, loving others the way that God loves us is the only meaningful thing that will last forever:
What if I speak in theĀ most elegantĀ languages of people or in theĀ exoticĀ languages of the heavenly messengers, but I live without love? Well then, anything I say is like the clanging of brass or a crashing cymbal.Ā Ā What if I have the gift of prophecy, am blessed with knowledge and insight to all the mysteries, or what if my faith is strong enough to scoop a mountainĀ from its bedrock, yet I live without love? If so, I am nothing.Ā Ā I could give all that I have to feed the poor, I could surrender my body to be burnedĀ as a martyr, but if I do not live in love, I gain nothing by my selfless acts. Love is patient; love is kind. Love isnāt envious, doesnāt boast,Ā brag, or strut about.Ā Thereās no arrogance in love;itās never rude, crude, or indecentāitās not self-absorbed. Love isnāt easily upset. Love doesnāt tally wrongsĀ Ā or celebrate injustice; but truthāyes, truthāis loveās delight!Ā Ā Love puts up with anything and everything that comes along; it trusts, hopes, and endures no matter what.
Love will never become obsolete (1 Corinthians 13:1-8).
This Valentineās Day, remember that love is so much more than flowers and candy and cards.Ā It is even more than the deepest feelings you experience, because real love is expressed by unconditional commitment and unwavering dedication to our loved onesāwhich should be everyone!
Thatās why God didnāt spend billions of dollars on us, He sacrificed His priceless Child.
He didnāt send us flowers, but He allowed a crown of thorns to be put on Jesusā brow.
He didnāt send us a card, but He demonstrated the ultimate Valentine:
Letās make every day a āValentineās Dayā for THE Cause in the sense that since God so loved the world, so should we.Ā Picture yourself as Godās living Valentine to a world that desperately needs to know what love is truly all about.
Flashpoint: Ignite Into Action
Donāt waste this opportunity to talk to people about a love that never fades or diminishes over time.Ā The gospel is the ultimate Valentine that should not be kept a secret!
Accelerant: Fuel for THE Cause
Pray: Jesus, thank You for showing us what true love is by dying on the Cross for our sins.Ā Help us to share that love and the message of eternal life with others, and may our friends be open to trusting You as their only hope of salvation
Read: Romans 5:8. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Get: The Fatherās Love Letter Video. Check out this enduring āLove Letterā from God, based entirely on verses from the Bible. Then pass it along to someone who needs to hear how much God loves them.
Discussion Guide for Leaders
Big Idea: Valentineās Day reminds us that Jesus is the ultimate Valentine that needs to be shared with others.
Key Scripture: 1 Corinthians 13:1-8
Discussion Questions:
- What are your feelings about Valentineās Day?
- Why do so many people invest so much in temporary expressions of love?
- How does your love measure up to 1 Corinthians 13?
- How can you apply this Soul Fuel to advancing THE Cause of Christ?