Valentine's Day - God's Love Leaves No One Out

​Valentine's brings back so many memories. As Katie came home from the store with Valentine's for our kids to give out at school I had a flood of emotions and memories from when I used to do the same thing. I remember in 6th grade I was excited to give out Valentine's and began writing the names of my classmates on them. As I was filling out the names two different thoughts came to mind: "I don’t want to give one to ________ (insert the name of my enemy)" and "I don’t want to give one to_________ (insert the name of a cute girl from class)." My love had strings attached; I didn’t want to bless my enemy and I didn’t want to be vulnerable to something I wasn’t sure would be reciprocated.

Does God's love come with strings attached? Romans 5 tells us that while we were still sinners Christ died for us. That would have made us enemies. God’s Word tells us to love our enemies. God also has a huge heart for the vulnerable: those kids or adults who have trouble feeling loved or even noticed by others, the person who feels unlovable because of something they have done or something that has happened to them.

Church, it's time to see our role as a reflection of God’s love to the world. Valentine's Day is the perfect reminder that God’s love does not have strings attached. Actually, quite the opposite. God’s love pushes us into areas where people who have never been loved before might experience it for the first time through us. So bake those cookies! Give that hug! Write that letter! Make that call! Love the world well as a reflection of the love that God has shown you.

-Pastor Paul