St. Valentine

 “He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.”
Micah 6:8 (NIV)

This year, Americans are expected to spend $27.5 billion on Valentine’s Day, including purchasing and sending approximately 180 million Valentine’s Day cards. Even if you don’t have a special person to celebrate Valentine’s Day with this year, do you know you always have the chance to experience perfect love? And, this perfect love is better than any Valentine's card you could ever receive.

Today, let God's perfect love remind you what real, selfless love looks like.

The history of Valentine’s Day and St. Valentine's story has many unknown details. But, what we do know from the story is this: St. Valentine embodied sacrificial love by defying unjust laws to help others, even at the cost of his own life.  

One legend says that Valentine was a priest who served during the third century in Rome. When Emperor Claudius II decided that single men made better soldiers than those with wives and children, he outlawed marriage for young men. 

Valentine, realizing the injustice of the decree, defied Claudius and continued to perform marriages for young couples in secret. When Valentine’s actions were discovered, Claudius ordered that he be put to death. 

Other stories suggest that Valentine might have been killed for attempting to help Christians escape harsh Roman prisons, where they were often beaten and punished. 

According to one legend, while Valentine was imprisoned he sent the first “Valentine card” after he fell in love with a girl who visited him in jail. It is said that he wrote his love letter before he died and signed, “From Your Valentine,” an expression still used today.

We will probably never know the whole truth about St. Valentine. But one thing these various legends have in common is that Valentine loved others sacrificially. The stories differ, but the bottom line is the same: Valentine stood up for justice. He risked his life–eventually losing it–demonstrating his love for others, and for what was right.

Do you know that you have someone loving you like that right now? Someone who stood up for justice, risked His life–eventually losing it–demonstrating His love for you? Jesus Christ is the ultimate example of sacrificial love. 

And on this Valentine’s Day, you can receive His love and honor Him.

You don’t have to be concerned that God’s love is based on feelings that come and go. His steadfast love endures forever. When you truly understand how deeply and consistently He loves you, it changes everything. 

It gives you the strength to do what's right, show kindness to others, and walk through life with a humble heart, knowing you're always loved, always valued, always His.

This Valentine’s Day, accept that the greatest love story ever told is your story in Christ. You’ll have everything you need to act justly, love mercy and walk humbly with your God. 

Prayer: God, Thank You for the power of Your Word–helping me remember that through Jesus, I receive Your endless, steadfast love. Thank You! Help me remember today that You are the source of sacrificial love. Help me respond by acting justly, loving mercy and walking humbly with You. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.