What Does St. Valentine’s Day Mean To You?

St. Valentine’s Day is a day marked out for lovers. The event involves the exchange of gifts between lovers, a show of kind and romantic gestures, candle lit dinner and the event mostly ends up with sex among couples. Red is usually the colour of the day and that’s how the world describes it.

In my own opinion, “Every day is Lover’s Day”. The greatest commandment lies in the Bible reading Matthew 22:36-40

³⁶ “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” ³⁷ Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’^[a] 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. ³⁹ And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’^[b] 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” So we are meant to Love God above all things followed by our neighbors. Our neighbors being every individual we meet in our lives daily.

February 14, St. Valentine’s Day on the other hand, is a special day set out to openly express your love to one special person in your life. Every day for everyone, one special day for that special someone. Most often, people take St. Valentine’s day to be a purely romantic event. The event of St. Valentine’s day however is not restricted to a particular age bracket. Kids can have their parents as their Valentine or a special friend or teacher at school. It’s just an event for an open expression of love. Love here isn’t defined as lust but a pure special feeling for someone.

The Book of 1st John teaches a lot about love . 1st John 4:7-21 (NIV) talks about God’s Love and Ours…

⁷ Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. ⁸ Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. ⁹ This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him.¹⁰ This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. ¹¹ Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. ¹² No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.

¹³ This is how we know that we live in him and he in us: He has given us of his Spirit. ¹⁴ And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. ¹⁵ If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God,God lives in them and they in God. ¹⁶ And so we know and rely on the love God has for us.

God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them. ¹⁷ This is how love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment: In this world we are like Jesus. ¹⁸ There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.

¹⁹ We love because he first loved us. ²⁰ Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen. ²¹ And he has given us this command: Anyone who loves God must also love their brother and sister.

Last year, I celebrated St. Valentine’s day in church with my friends and it was fun as a get together party was organized for the brethren. In my heart, I took Jesus to be my Valentine. I gave Him my heart and he gave me His love. It’s as simple as that. You can use St. Valentine’s day as a day to reevaluate and re-validate your love for Jesus Christ.

For couples, it’s usually noticed that a husband’s Valentine is his wife and vice versa. While taking a shower this morning, I had a single yet complex thought. What if a man’s Valentine is someone else; won’t there be a conflict on the morning of the 15^th? If yes, why is it so? Couples who are always together, sleep on the same bed for 365 days every year. If these couples express their love to each other every day then there shouldn’t be a problem if a wife decides that her younger brother will be her Valentine or a husband takes his widowed mother as his Valentine. Love is Pure and shouldn’t result to envy or jealousy.

If you have no special person in your life to celebrate the day with, do good to visit the motherless babies’ home, prisons or hospital. You will find lots of people there who yearn for the tiniest bit of love. Spread the Love, Spread the Faith.

I will stop here with these questions, feel free to answer them openly or in your hearts.

• What does St. Valentine’s day mean to you?
• What special things do you do on St. Valentine’s day?
• Who will be your Valentine cupid this year?
• Are you still thinking about the perfect gift to buy?

How Do You Start Your Day?: 5 Powerful Ways To Start An Effective Day – 3

3. Sing Praise and Worship Songs That Glorify Your Maker.

The Good Lord loves music. David sang to glorify God and He blessed him. Singing praises to the Lord is a great way to worship Him. It is even more appreciated than prayer. This is because prayer is more like a conversation in which most people ask for their needs. But when we sing praises to God, we worship and exalt Him.

If music is said to be the food for the soul, won’ t it be right to say that singing praises to God also serves as enjoyment to God. As a child. I was taught that music makes God stand from His throne. If your praise can make God stand, tell me why He won’t listen to your prayers.

Personally I love singing in the bathroom because the walls give my music a studio effect. King David danced till his clothes fell off and God was pleased.