Valentines Day
Probably the most well known date in February is Valentines day. This is an important date because on this day 28 years ago, I was born. Now I'm a humble guy and I realize not all of you will be celebrating my birthday on that day. Rather some of you will be spending time with that special person in your life and some will treat it as a normal day. Some people enjoy Valentines day, but there are others who find it tough, a day to remind them they are alone.
So why do we make such a big deal out of Valentines day? I think it has to do with what we are taught as young children. We learn about fairy tales in which a handsome prince rescues a beautiful princess and they all live happily ever after. This story is something we want to beleive even as we grow up.
I remember in high school thinking that if I ever had the opportunity to save the life of a girl I liked surely then she would like me, and everyone else would like me as well and we would all live happily ever after. Strangely, there seemed to be a shortage of dragons, witches, evil step-mothters and/ or natural disasters from which I could save my beautiful princess. The theme of finding the right girl or guy and being happy is emphasized in many modern day movies.
The thought of meeting a beautiful princess or prince charming in your life should make everyone happy shouldn't it? The problem is at some point we grow up. At some point we realize life is not always like the fairy tales. It may come when you see a messy breakup or parents divorcing, or it may come in your own life when you realize the person you really cared about doesn't feel the same way about you. At some point we realize that not all realationships work out as they do in fairy tales and not everyone seems to live happily ever after.
So what does this have to do with Valentines day? Isn't the whole purpose of Valentines to day to to find a girl or guy to spend it with and for those of us who are alone to feel miserable? As one character in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless mind said. “Valentines day is a holiday invented by greeting card companies to make people feel like crap.”
Being as my birthday is on Valentines day I decided to look into a little history of the day itself. Apparently Valentines day celebrates one of at least three martyrs who most likely were killed on February 14th. Not much is really known about the lives of these saints. It was not until the Middle ages that legends came up and associated them with romantic love. So this doesn't leave us with much does it?
Well I think it does. All we really know is one of three goodly men were martyred for their faith on Valentines day. Basically these men loved Jesus so much that they were willing to die for him. You see Jesus had already died for the sins of these men and all of us. They were simply returning the favour at the cost of their lives. So Valentines day should really about returning the love to Christ that he has given us.
So what happens when we put Jesus back into Valentines day? Let's start with those of us who will be single on that day. Some of us who are alone may have come out of a messy relationship, some of us may have lost a wife or husband who passed away, or some of us may have just been alone for a very long time. If you find Valentines day tough so do I. You know how hard it is to try to have a birthday party on February 14th? By it's very nature it is almost impossible to get more than one person out for that day, that is if I had someone to spend it with. As such in the past I've often tried to ignore the day, but it's kind of hard to ignore your birthday. “Oh you're born on Valentines day that must be great”. Trust me it's not if you're alone.
What does Jesus offer to us who are alone? He offers more love than we could possibly get from any person. He knows us better than any wife or husband or girlfriend or boyfriend could possibly know us. He knows our faults and yet, still loves us enough to be willing to give up his life for us. He is even someone who can identify with our suffereing. He knows what it's like to be to be sad and alone as it says in Isaiah 53:3
He was despised and rejected by men,
a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering.
Like one from whom men hide their faces
he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
The amazing thing is that at the end of our lives, those of us who choose to love Jesus in this life will be a part of the one true marriage of Jesus Christ and the Church. This is the marriage of which all other marriages are just a shadow of. This is the real thing. Any earthly marriage only lasts until death do you part. However, our marriage with Christ will last forever.
So if you're alone this Valentines day why not spend it with Jesus? Talk to him in prayer, read the Bible and just have a wonderful time with him.
What about you who are dating, married or on your path to getting married? What does Valentines day offer you if you add Christ in? Be aware that life on this earth is short in compared with the eternity that we will spend with Jesus if we love him. So go and appriciate the relationship that you have, for your time on this earth is short and your relationship will last at most until you die..
For you who are married or heading to that path it is incredibly important to have Jesus in your life and to submit to him. For the relationship between a husband and wife is supposed to be like the relationship between Jesus Christ and the church. Your marriage will be on display for the world to see and you will show your faith in Jesus by how well you play your parts.
For wives this means submitting to your husbands as we the church are supposed to submit to Christ. Before any of you start complaining that this is not fair I'd like you to remember two things. First of all I'd like you to remember the scripture in proverbs 21:1 says “The king's heart is in the hand of the LORD; he directs it like a watercourse wherever he pleases.” How much more will the Lord direct the heart of your husband. Secondly remember your time on this earth is short. You're only going to be playing your part for a fairly short time so play it well.
For husbands this means that you are to love your wives like Jesus loved the church being willing to die for her if necessary, you are to build her up in her faith and make her beautiful. Quite honestly this almost seems impossible to me. The idea of loving any person the way Christ loves us. How can we possibly do it? Surely this is an impossible ideal. No it's not. Husbands if you have Jesus Christ in your life then you will be able to love your wives in the same way Jesus loved the church.
I don't think you who are married fully realize what is going on. Certainly marriage is for the two of you so you do not become lonely and have a chance to grow together in your fatih but it is a lot more than that. Ultimately, your marriage is on display for the world, for the angels and for the Father, Son and Holy Spirit to see. You are showing everyone how Christ loves the church and how the church is supposed to love Christ. I believe that at the end of time, some of you who are married will receive a standing ovation from all the angels in heaven. Jesus himself will say. “Well done man you played my part well” “Well done woman you played the part of the church well” “Come and be part of the greatest wedding of all time”
However, there are others of you who I think Jesus may come up to you and say. “Well that was a good effort but I couldn't quite tell who was supposed to be playing the my part and who was playing the part of the church.”
So whatever you're state is on Valentines day be it single, married or dating do not forget Jesus as people are so quick to do. Remember that Jesus gave up his life for us so that we could be with him in heaven. On valentines day one man returned the favour. Will we?
So why do we make such a big deal out of Valentines day? I think it has to do with what we are taught as young children. We learn about fairy tales in which a handsome prince rescues a beautiful princess and they all live happily ever after. This story is something we want to beleive even as we grow up.
I remember in high school thinking that if I ever had the opportunity to save the life of a girl I liked surely then she would like me, and everyone else would like me as well and we would all live happily ever after. Strangely, there seemed to be a shortage of dragons, witches, evil step-mothters and/ or natural disasters from which I could save my beautiful princess. The theme of finding the right girl or guy and being happy is emphasized in many modern day movies.
The thought of meeting a beautiful princess or prince charming in your life should make everyone happy shouldn't it? The problem is at some point we grow up. At some point we realize life is not always like the fairy tales. It may come when you see a messy breakup or parents divorcing, or it may come in your own life when you realize the person you really cared about doesn't feel the same way about you. At some point we realize that not all realationships work out as they do in fairy tales and not everyone seems to live happily ever after.
So what does this have to do with Valentines day? Isn't the whole purpose of Valentines to day to to find a girl or guy to spend it with and for those of us who are alone to feel miserable? As one character in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless mind said. “Valentines day is a holiday invented by greeting card companies to make people feel like crap.”
Being as my birthday is on Valentines day I decided to look into a little history of the day itself. Apparently Valentines day celebrates one of at least three martyrs who most likely were killed on February 14th. Not much is really known about the lives of these saints. It was not until the Middle ages that legends came up and associated them with romantic love. So this doesn't leave us with much does it?
Well I think it does. All we really know is one of three goodly men were martyred for their faith on Valentines day. Basically these men loved Jesus so much that they were willing to die for him. You see Jesus had already died for the sins of these men and all of us. They were simply returning the favour at the cost of their lives. So Valentines day should really about returning the love to Christ that he has given us.
So what happens when we put Jesus back into Valentines day? Let's start with those of us who will be single on that day. Some of us who are alone may have come out of a messy relationship, some of us may have lost a wife or husband who passed away, or some of us may have just been alone for a very long time. If you find Valentines day tough so do I. You know how hard it is to try to have a birthday party on February 14th? By it's very nature it is almost impossible to get more than one person out for that day, that is if I had someone to spend it with. As such in the past I've often tried to ignore the day, but it's kind of hard to ignore your birthday. “Oh you're born on Valentines day that must be great”. Trust me it's not if you're alone.
What does Jesus offer to us who are alone? He offers more love than we could possibly get from any person. He knows us better than any wife or husband or girlfriend or boyfriend could possibly know us. He knows our faults and yet, still loves us enough to be willing to give up his life for us. He is even someone who can identify with our suffereing. He knows what it's like to be to be sad and alone as it says in Isaiah 53:3
He was despised and rejected by men,
a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering.
Like one from whom men hide their faces
he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
The amazing thing is that at the end of our lives, those of us who choose to love Jesus in this life will be a part of the one true marriage of Jesus Christ and the Church. This is the marriage of which all other marriages are just a shadow of. This is the real thing. Any earthly marriage only lasts until death do you part. However, our marriage with Christ will last forever.
So if you're alone this Valentines day why not spend it with Jesus? Talk to him in prayer, read the Bible and just have a wonderful time with him.
What about you who are dating, married or on your path to getting married? What does Valentines day offer you if you add Christ in? Be aware that life on this earth is short in compared with the eternity that we will spend with Jesus if we love him. So go and appriciate the relationship that you have, for your time on this earth is short and your relationship will last at most until you die..
For you who are married or heading to that path it is incredibly important to have Jesus in your life and to submit to him. For the relationship between a husband and wife is supposed to be like the relationship between Jesus Christ and the church. Your marriage will be on display for the world to see and you will show your faith in Jesus by how well you play your parts.
For wives this means submitting to your husbands as we the church are supposed to submit to Christ. Before any of you start complaining that this is not fair I'd like you to remember two things. First of all I'd like you to remember the scripture in proverbs 21:1 says “The king's heart is in the hand of the LORD; he directs it like a watercourse wherever he pleases.” How much more will the Lord direct the heart of your husband. Secondly remember your time on this earth is short. You're only going to be playing your part for a fairly short time so play it well.
For husbands this means that you are to love your wives like Jesus loved the church being willing to die for her if necessary, you are to build her up in her faith and make her beautiful. Quite honestly this almost seems impossible to me. The idea of loving any person the way Christ loves us. How can we possibly do it? Surely this is an impossible ideal. No it's not. Husbands if you have Jesus Christ in your life then you will be able to love your wives in the same way Jesus loved the church.
I don't think you who are married fully realize what is going on. Certainly marriage is for the two of you so you do not become lonely and have a chance to grow together in your fatih but it is a lot more than that. Ultimately, your marriage is on display for the world, for the angels and for the Father, Son and Holy Spirit to see. You are showing everyone how Christ loves the church and how the church is supposed to love Christ. I believe that at the end of time, some of you who are married will receive a standing ovation from all the angels in heaven. Jesus himself will say. “Well done man you played my part well” “Well done woman you played the part of the church well” “Come and be part of the greatest wedding of all time”
However, there are others of you who I think Jesus may come up to you and say. “Well that was a good effort but I couldn't quite tell who was supposed to be playing the my part and who was playing the part of the church.”
So whatever you're state is on Valentines day be it single, married or dating do not forget Jesus as people are so quick to do. Remember that Jesus gave up his life for us so that we could be with him in heaven. On valentines day one man returned the favour. Will we?
posted by gardion at
11:19 PM
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