Happy St. Valentine’s Day! Why do we celebrate Valentines Day? Saint Valentine was a 3rd Century Roman priest or bishop who ministered to persecuted believers. He was an outspoken evangelist who prayed for healings, admonished people to tear down their idols and even tried to convince the Emperor Claudius II to accept the Lord. When the emperor refused his message of the Gospel, he had Valentine executed on February 14. He has been labeled as the patron saint of love, thus we emphasize loving one another on February 14.
The world has a very skewed view of what love should look like. But what does the Bible say about how we should show our love? Romans 12:9 says, “Let love be without hypocrisy.” And just how should we love and not become hypocrites? Romans 12:9-13 gives us a list of ten ways to show our true love:
- Abhor what is evil.
- Cling to what is good.
- Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love.
- In honor, give preference to one another.
- Do not lack diligence, but serve the Lord with a fervent spirit.
- Rejoice in hope.
- Be patient in tribulation.
- Continue steadfastly in prayer.
- Give to the needs of other believers.
- Pursue hospitality.
Pursuing hospitality is an especially interesting one to me. Did you know that the Greek word for pursuing here is the same term that was used to describe what Saul was doing to the believers in the Early Church? He was going after them, capturing them and dragging them back to Jerusalem to be imprisoned. I know this sounds odd, but we, too, are to go out of our way to capture people with the love of God and compel them not only to receive our hospitality but also to be introduced to our Lord. We are to use the same passion and haste to show others kindness as Saul used to persecute!
The Lord implored us to, “…Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled.’” Luke 14:23
How are you practicing hospitality? Are you compelling others to come to your Lord’s house? Are you not just inviting people to attend your congregation, but are also going out to bring them to Him? Are you showing people the same love and kindness that God has shown you?
There is an old saying, “To kill someone with kindness…” This phrase originated from observing mother apes who hugged their babies so much that they literally smothered them. May you be filled with so much of the love of the Lord that you can’t help but bubble over onto everyone who gets near you. But don’t worry about smothering someone…the Lord will breathe new life into them as they are drawn to meet Him! And may you, too, feel the warm and loving embrace of the Lord all around you today!