If we can encourage others, we should encourage them.
~Romans 12:8

Saturday, February 14, 2015

The Truth About Valentine's Day

In February 2010, I shared a post about the saint whom inspired the holiday which tends to represent romantic love. The message was well received, but was only shared with email subscribers; so I decided to share it with all of you today. Happy Valentine's Day! ♥


An Anointed Message from Anointed Messenger

Most people don't know the true story about St. Valentine. There are several legends about several St. Valentines but I read about one in a devotional not too long ago. His name was Valentinus, and he was a Christian martyr who lived in the 3rd century. He was a Roman priest who was arrested and imprisoned for marrying Christian couples and practicing Christianity (which was banned by Emperor Claudius II). Imagine that; couples had to go against the law in order to marry; today marriage is taken all too lightly.


The jailer noted that Valentinus was a refined learned man. Isn't it awesome how God can give you favor even in prison? Anyway the jailer brought his daughter Julia to Valentinus for educating. Julia was beautiful and smart, and had been blind since birth. Valentinus not only taught Julia about history and mathematics, he taught her about God. When Julia confided that she prayed that she might see the wonderful things Valentinus described he told her that "God does what is best for us if we will only believe in Him." They prayed together and a brilliant light filled the prison cell. Julia could see! On the day before his death Valentinus wrote a note to Julia encouraging her to stay close to God. He signed it "From your Valentine!" The source reports he was martyred the next day, February 14, 270.

That was the first valentine. St. Valentinus didn't even have a romantic relationship with Julia, certainly not one that was consummated. His story reminds me that 'love' is not just romance and flowers and candy. Sharing God, helping the blind to see, and setting the captives free, even at the risk of losing your own life - that's the greatest love of all. I think romance is awesome, but I don't ever want to make it a priority above agape love.

God's Beloved, if you have a God ordained mate I pray you will honor your covenant and demonstrate your love this Valentine's Day. Single or married, I hope you will believe Valentinus' words that God does what is best for us if we will only believe in Him. I pray all believers will use this time to bring good news to the poor, to comfort the brokenhearted, to proclaim that captives will be released and prisoners will be freed; and to tell those who mourn that the time of the Lord's favor has come. [Isaiah 61]

Love Is the Greatest

If I could speak all the languages of earth and of angels, but didn't love others, I would only be a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. If I had the gift of prophecy, and if I understood all of God's secret plans and possessed all knowledge, and if I had such faith that I could move mountains, but didn't love others, I would be nothing. If I gave everything I have to the poor and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it; but if I didn't love others, I would have gained nothing.

Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.

Prophecy and speaking in unknown languages and special knowledge will become useless. But love will last forever! Now our knowledge is partial and incomplete, and even the gift of prophecy reveals only part of the whole picture! But when full understanding comes, these partial things will become useless.

When I was a child, I spoke and thought and reasoned as a child. But when I grew up, I put away childish things. Now we see things imperfectly as in a cloudy mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity.All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God now knows me completely.

Three things will last forever-faith, hope, and love-and the greatest of these is love.

1 Corinthians 13 New Living Translation


Lord
Help me remember what is important on this Valentine's Day and everyday. Love involves sacrifice, and putting the needs of others above our own. I thank You that You demonstrated the greatest love of all, when Jesus surrendered His very life in exchange for my own. I love You back, because You loved me first.



2 comments:

  1. Dear Daughter,
    This is AWESOME!!! Thanks so much for this.
    Love and blessings,
    Your Mother

    ReplyDelete

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