Valentine's Day

I have loved you with an everlasting love (Jeremiah 31:3).

Valentine’s Day. It’s supposed to be the ultimate feel-good holiday, a time to celebrate the joys of love. But Valentine’s Day can be also be frustrating and depressing.

If you are single and don’t have any dates penciled into your schedule, Valentine’s Day is a chore to get through. You don’t want to eat out and watch all the happy couples sharing a special evening. It’s not much fun to go to a movie by yourself. Maybe you’ll stay late at work, eat a quart of ice cream while watching TV, or go to bed early.

Dating can be treacherous at this time of the year. What kind of card do you buy? How much should you spend on a gift? If you are unsure how the relationship is going, you could undermine things with a gift that is too personal or a card that is too casual. Valentine’s Day shouldn’t be so stressful, should it?

Couples aren’t immune from trouble either. Some guys forget about Valentine’s Day—almost as big a mistake as forgetting your anniversary. Some women have unrealistic expectations for a night of pure romance. And sometimes, after dealing with work or the kids, you just don’t have much enthusiasm for anything except a good night’s sleep. As a result, Valentine’s Day becomes a disappointment.

The sad reality is this: relationships come and go. Relationships swing between peace and drama, happiness and anger, satisfaction and frustration. Some Valentine celebrations are wonderful, others you’d just as soon forget about.

I hope that Valentine’s Day 2011 leaves you with pleasant memories. But if it does not, I want you to remember this—Jesus loves you. He loves you with an unchanging, everlasting love. He knows you and understands you. He sees the potential in you and wants to bring it out. He always listens to you and never forgets about you. He gives you gifts big and small throughout the year, often at unexpected times. He is committed to your welfare, so committed that He gave up His life to make you His. This year and every year, Jesus wants to be your valentine.

Won’t you be His?