Happy Valentines Day! Today is special in that, without any guilt, we can eat some chocolate, enjoy the beauty and smell of flowers, squeeze a soft stuffed animal and tell someone you love them. Love may have our focus today but it should be a way of life everyday. Love is what defines us as Christians and what defines the God we serve. John writes by inspiration and says:

Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love.

1 John 4:7-8

Here’s a few random thoughts I had after reading this pericope: 

  • To know God we must know love. 
  • Love is the divine nature of God and is paramount to who He is. 
  • We cannot know God and not learn to love each other. 
  • Love is that quality of which defines discipleship to the world and makes us identity as Christians (John 13:34-35). 
  • For us to be able to be known as people of love we have to begin with God and His infinite love because we learn from Him how to love. 
  • If we love God and we love others then we need to make every effort to demonstrate love to God and to others. 
  • We need to learn to love God and be  completely dedicated to Him and Him alone.
  • We need to make every effort to love all people no matter who they are. 
  • To love people who are the same as us is simple and comes naturally; loving people who are different than us is challenging. 
  • We need to love people if they have more or less money than us. 
  • Love whose who are a different nationality than us. Don’t forget there are Russian and Chinese Christians and we are challenged to love our enemies (Matthew 5:44).
  • We need to learn to make every effort to love with compassion, mercy, and grace.
  • We need to make every effort to love the lost (Romans 8:3; 10:1).
  • If we say we love God then we need to demonstrate the love of God by loving the people God loves. 
  • God so loves the whole world. 

Use today to restore your love of God and love one another. 

Tell everyone you see today that you love them. It might be awkward for you but it might create a conversation about the love of God.

God loves you and so do I,

Alexander Mills