What's Love Got to Do With It?

Nothing! I mean sorry to be a party pooper, but let’s be real, we all know that Valentine’s is a scam. We can highlight how capitalism means that our shops, TV’s and billboards are filled with ideas of “love”. Well this time, I clocked out. Don’t get me wrong - I love love! I love seeing couples spending time together, being on dates and all that good stuff. But in this month of February, where we’re told that love is in the air, my perspective shifted slightly. I asked myself something that we should all consider, regardless of our relationship status.

How well do I love?

I have come to realise that it’s easy to love the tangible, and the things and people that please us. After all, if your child asked you for a fish, you wouldn’t give them a snake instead (Luke 11:11-12) because they’re cute, and they make you laugh. When something serves us in whatever way, it’s easy to reciprocate.

So, again I asked - how well do I love? The stranger? The homeless person? The difficult colleague? It’s much more difficult to love someone you have no attachment to, as you don’t see them as part of your immediate life; you place them in a separate category but the truth is - when we do this, we are boxing God up too.

It’s easy to love the tangible, and the things and people that please us...When something serves us in whatever way, it’s easy to reciprocate.

I love LOVE, which is what God is. (1 John 4:16) When being introspective, a question that needs to be asked is how well do I love God? Is He treated like a beloved family member or a difficult colleague? Do I run into His presence longing for Him, or do so begrudgingly because I have to? Do we have that same kind of relationship with God?

“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.” – 1 John 4:16

Do I run into His presence longing for Him, or do so begrudgingly because I have to?

This month of February, with all the valentines posts - this is what my mind went to. How well do I love Love? How well do I seek God’s face and spend time with him like I would a significant other?

And it made me grateful all over again because I had the God given opportunity to adjust my attitude towards the Love of my life, and in return - all of his image bearers. I’m grateful that Love encompasses patience, kindness, gentleness and forgiveness, amongst other things. What it means is that we can all develop that close relationship with God, and we can continually do so beyond the month of February because although this is what triggered my thought process, the Holy Spirit will carry this work to completion.

“being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ” – Philippians 1:6

Like any relationship, we evaluate and work then evaluate and work again. I’m excited to take every opportunity possible to love well, and I’m hoping that you are too.

Ify