Do you remember the Geico commercial with a talking camel walking through an office, saying, “Guess what day it is?” With glee, the camel proclaimed that it was hump day, the middle of the week. Switching to Geico would make you happier than a camel on Wednesday. I love that commercial.
So, to borrow a camel’s question, “Guess what day it is?” Yes, it’s hump day Wednesday. But more importantly, this is Valentine’s Day. Please tell me that you didn’t forget! If you did, you are probably in the doghouse and things are relatively cool in your home.
Some grumpy curmudgeons out there will get a bit surly and declare that they don’t get into all these Hallmark holidays. They don’t need some commercialized celebration thrust upon them, forcing them to a store to purchase something in order to declare their love. This sounds like the protests of someone who is about as romantic as a stick and as cheap as Scrooge McDuck.
While a person says that they don’t need someone to schedule their sentiments, I beg
to differ. The Biblical example of the Old Testament feasts shows that these regularly scheduled events were to remind Israel of certain things, whether it be events past or things to come. The weekly Sabbath as well as the extra sabbaths that happened throughout a year were intended to help stir the Israelite’s hearts towards the things of the Lord. I know that I will take all the reminders I can get!
There’s the old joke about the couple who had been married for several decades. The wife complained that he never said “I love you” anymore. He responded, “I told you I loved you when we got married. If anything changes, I’ll let you know.” While we hope that was just a joke, it’s probably true in some marriages.
The love that we want to demonstrate to our spouse is beautiful depicted in 1 Corinthians 13:4-8. Before reading the verses, I will tell you they talk about charity. Charity is God’s agape love. It’s a depth of love that is divinely given and implanted at salvation. We are simply told in Scripture that “God is love,” the epitome, essence, personification, and Supreme Example of this agape love. With that explanation, read the verses.
“Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, (5) Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; (6) Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; (7) Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. (8) Charity never faileth…”
This charity is intended to be shown in demonstrable ways. 1 John 3:18 says, “My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth.” In other words, don’t just say it; show it!
That’s not just our mission today on Valentine’s Day. It’s to be our mission every day. Do you choose to accept this mission?
