LOVE REMAINS….

WHERE’S MY GIFT

The days leading up to February 14th were very tense, anxiety filled days for many people in our society. For many, the contentment and comfort of their world comes crashing down as they begin to muse about the question of whether or not they will be someone’s Valentine this year. As flowers and other gifts show up in offices etc., both married and single people ask the question, “What about me? Where’s my gift? Who will love me?”

Long after all of the heart-shaped balloons, chocolate candy, flowers, jewelry and candle light dinners; after all of the media hype and marketing for February 14th, Valentines day, comes to a close, love remains. Less than 24 hours later, the same items that have been advertised as something that you must purchase to make the loves of your life feel special are marked down to 70% off of the original price. They are tossed aside to the “Clearance” section of the store, as if they have somehow lost their value. They are no longer important. We are on to the next thing, the next season.

The marketing plan appears to be intentional effort to make people believe that the absence of these material things somehow make the individual of less value, that they too should be placed in the clearance bin because no one wanted to “purchase”  them and take them home.
We are made to believe that there is some defect associated with us. That we are somehow in some way not enough.

WE WIN

One of my favorite terms associated with Tennis is “to hold love”. This term means to win the game when serving, with the opponent scoring zero points. I am so thankful that God has initiated the serve in our relationship to him. There is a wonderful sense of confidence in knowing that God is always “holding love.” I am always reminded that Romans 5:8 says, that God commended his love to us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. In the midst of all of our broken places, flaws, and poor choices, Christ stood in our place. He makes all things new. We are new creations in Christ Jesus… worthy of love in its various forms.

Whether you are single and longing for an expression of love from another person, or if you are in a relationship where you feel that there is a deficit of tangible expressions of love, Love still remains!

NEW PATTERNS

It is so important that we do not conform any longer to the patterns of this world, but to be transformed by the renewing of our minds. Then you will find God’s good, pleasing and perfect will. (Rom. 12:2)

God knows about all of our deepest longings. He created us, shaped our hearts and designed our intellect to chase after him. 1 Corinthians 13:8-13 is a critical manifesto for the believer in Christ Jesus. It begins by saying, “Love Never Fails.” It goes onto say that, “Now, I know in part, then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. And these three remain: faith hope and love. But the greatest of these is Love.”

SOUL HUNGER

PSALM 62:5
“Truly my soul wait thou on God, he alone is my rock. All my expectation comes from him.”

Those of us in relationships must stop putting all of our emotional eggs into the basket of our mates. Those who are single must confront the lie that their emotional happiness and well-being rests with another human individual. What we really have is a soul longing. I have seen many a person reject the well-intentioned gifts of a lover or friend because it failed to meet the soul hunger.

In this world where true love is often lost in the midst of commercialism, we must be like be like David who hungered and thirsted for God in a dry and weary land. Be filled with God’s great love for you my friends so that you will hunger no more.

God’s love is sweeter than any chocolate found in a box!