Editor's Thoughts on a Valentine Prayer

Valentine's Day is here—February 14^th. Everyone gets ready for the big day—cards, flowers, chocolates, special dinners. All this is for people we love: mom, dad, brother, sister, girl friend, boy friend, wife, husband, grandkids. It's kind of a cool thing. Once a year we say, I love you! But wait! Maybe that isn't so cool-to say it only once a year. We need to say this to those close to us often, if not daily.

What is love?

I checked the dictionary. First: "A feeling of strong personal attachment induced by sympathetic understanding, or by ties of kinship; ardent affection." Second: "The benevolence attributed to God as being like a father's affection for his children; also men's adoration of God." Those are pretty good definitions.

The Bible tells us that "God is love" (I John 4:8). I believe that. It is the very essence of what God is-Love. To that attribute holiness must be added. A great theologian, H. Orton Wiley, once wrote that the very essence of God is Holy-Love. Well expressed!

The Bible uses two Greek words for love—"phileo" and "agape." "Phileo" means friendship-love. We need a lot of that. Then there is "agape" which is a deeper and higher, spiritual love of one person for another. There is also a third Greek word for love not used in the Bible, namely "eros," which means physical love. This is, of course, something that God created to be enjoyed between one man and one woman committed to each other in the bond of marriage. "Eros" can certainly be misused as well, which we all well understand.

Agape-love is best defined, I think, as a commitment to the highest well-being of another person quite apart from feelings. It is something that human beings can exhibit only to a limited extent. God fully demonstrated this kind of love in that, while we were still unlovely sinners, he loved us (Romans 5:8). He didn't love our wayward behavior. But he did love each of us. In fact, he loved us enough to give his Son, Jesus Christ, to die on the cross in our place, paying the penalty for our sins so that we might be forgiven and become children of God. That's love, for sure! But for us to have this kind of agape-love for God and others in our lives we need help. Only God can pour agape-love into us (Romans 5:5).

The Bible asks us to love God with all of our heart, mind, and soul and to love others as ourselves (Mark 12:30-31). That's an assignment! When we become Christians, we begin to practice agape-love, but quite imperfectly. However, little by little, with Divine help, we learn to agape-love God and people. I mean, we really begin to love with a deeply committed love in both words and actions (James 1:22-25). It shows. Others both see it and feel it.

The Apostle Paul spoke of the "peace of God that surpasses all understanding" (Philippians 4:7) and of the "love of God that passes knowledge" (Ephesians 3:19). That's a lot of peace and a whole lot of love!

Paul prays for the Ephesian believers, and for us as well, that first, we will be rooted and grounded in love (Ephesians 3:17), and second, that we will be able to comprehend all the dimensions of the love of Christ and so be filled with the fullness of God (Ephesians 3:17-19). That's a big prayer. I think it might be called a Valentine's Prayer. It is all about love—real love given to us and growing in us to love God and others as we ought.

This is the kind of Valentine's Day love we all need and desire.

Editor's note: Graphics courtesy of www.serenart.com