How’s Your Love Life?

February, 2005

by: Jeff Jones

Besides being known as the shortest month on the calendar, February is also known for Valentine's Day.I will forego a discussion onits origins(since there are several legends about it), however, I'm sure we can all agree thatValentine's Day is a holiday especially associated with the romantic kind of love. I read that over 1 billion cards are sent on this holiday. And I'm sure that candy stores and flower shops have an extremely heightened increase in business on this day too.

Now,without down playing the importance of finding ways to express your mushy–gushy and lovey–dovey feelings for that special someone, the question, “how's your love life?”, is not a question we should ask only in regards to romance, but a question we should ask in our relationship to God and other believers. Love, in the sense of unconditional self–sacrifice, is to be a defining mark of genuine Christians. I shouldn't have to remind anyone that Jesus himself said the greatest commandments are to love God with all your heart and love your neighbor as yourself (Matt 22:34-40), and that his disciples would be known by their love for one another (John 13:35). Paul lets us know that the whole Law is fulfilled in the statement “love your neighbor” (Gal 5:16) and the first fruit of the Spirit is love (Gal 5:22). The apostle John tells us that love is the true test as to whether someone is a child of God or the devil (1 John 3:10-18; 4:7-21).

If there is anything we ought to work on in the month of February, it is to increase in our love for one another. So ask yourself about your love life. Are you seeking the very best of others? Are you finding ways to be self–sacrificial and giving for the good of other Christians? Are you getting along with your brothers and sisters in the Lord? Do you have affection in your heart for other believers? May our love for one another abound still more and more…