Three reasons why the pressure of Valentine’s should not get to you!
Every year, thousands of people around the world get depressed on the 14th of February. The reason? Because the pressure to feel ‘loved’ and ‘appreciated’ on Valentine’s Day is unbearable! As much as most of us enjoy the thrill and splashes of red on Valentine’s Day, many of us feel unloved, left out, depressed and worthless. This thought led me to ask myself, should love be ‘confined’ to this day? Below are three reasons why it shouldn’t.
- Love is timeless
Ideally, love is an emotion and action that should manifest itself all year long! True love should be seen in the way we act during the highs and lows of life. Proverbs 17:17 summarizes this aptly.
“A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for a time of adversity.” (NIV)
According to this verse, we should love ALL the time. For those who are not attached or in a relationship, therefore, this is great news! Though you may not have a significant other, you can still experience love through friendship, family relations, and a relationship with God. I would encourage you to seek to experience a love that is timeless and genuine, a love that gives sacrificially and receives gratefully.
- Love acts consistently
On Valentine’s Day, we see a sudden upsurge in the purchase of chocolates, flowers, jewelry, etc. My question is, however, why are these gifts not given as consistently and enthusiastically on other days of the year? I firmly believe the show of love should be consistent – evident all through the year. Think about an elderly man who is currently nursing his sick wife. How about the teacher who cares for differently talented kids all day long? Isn’t that a consistent show of love?
Dear friend, don’t feel sad because you have nobody to show you ‘love’ on this day. Instead, make it your aim to show love as regularly and consistently as possible –whether it is to your family, friends, workmates, or anyone you meet in your daily hustles.
1 Corinthians 16:14 “Let all that you do be done in love.” (ESV)
- Love is everlasting
Time or space does not limit love – it is everlasting. Considering that the human mind can barely fathom God, the author of love, it, therefore, follows that love, his greatest virtue, cannot be measured! Why, then, do we limit our show of love to one day when there are so many ways to demonstrate our love all year long? Most importantly, why not get to know God, the author of true love?
This may seem like a cliché to many of us, but the truth is, God’s love is more than we will ever need. If we content ourselves in knowing God and experiencing his love, the fuss of Valentine’s Day will come and go!
See how God’s love is described below.
John 15:13 “There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” (NLT)
Psalm 63:3 “Your unfailing love is better than life itself; how I praise you!” (NLT)
Dear friends, do not feel alone or discouraged because you cannot find your place amidst all the lovers on this day. Instead, focus on God and let his love encourage and uplift you – not just on Valentine’s Day, but also all through the year!
Jeremiah 31:3 ‘Long ago the Lord said to Israel (insert your name here): “I have loved you, my people, with an everlasting love. With unfailing love I have drawn you to myself.’ (NLT)
Embrace his eternal love today and every day after that!