It's always interesting to me to see the number of people who post bitter status updates about "how much their life sucks" because they don't have a Valentine's date, or how they feel so unloved, or whatever else they complain about. And while my students may think that I am bitter about not having a Valentine, because I'm sure that was their thought when I told them "It's none of your business," that couldn't be farther from the truth.
I've never really understood all the fuss surrounding Valentine's day, and the obsession with doing something nice for your husband/wife/significant other/whoever else you care about. Sure it's nice to have a day to show them how much you care for them, but if you really love that person, does the day really matter? In all reality, you should show the person that you love and care for them that much every day of the year, not just on February 14th. Everyone always gives flowers on Valentine's day, because "that's what you do" but how many people give flowers "just because?" Maybe more people do than I realize, but I know that more often than not, I hear people complaining about how expensive they are. But again I say, if you really care about someone, cost is no object.
The same is true with our relationship with God. John 3:16 reminds us that "God so loved the world that He gave his only begotten Son, so that all who believe in Him might not perish, but may have eternal life." When God gave His son, he was not worried about the cost, because of His infinite love for us. So the question then becomes: "If God loves us so much, are we showing Him that we appreciate his love?" Just like you don't have to wait for February 14th to tell someone you love them, you don't have to wait until Sunday to give God glory and praise. If we truly are to be called sons and daughters of God, we should strive to ALWAYS live in His love, not just for an hour on Sunday.
With that said, that doesn't mean that you need to be in Church for hours every day, on your knees constantly praying, making all kinds of outward signs of your Faith. It does mean, however, that you need to allow Christ to live in your heart, and let your actions reflect the love that Christ has for you. Just as a relationship would fall apart if you only gave attention to your partner 1 day a year, your relationship with God cannot grow if you do not make an effort to allow God into your life in all things, whether it be work, school, free time, or time with friends. Faith has to be lived, not practiced, just like it takes work to make a relationship or marriage work.
So today, and every day, strive always to show your love for God, and your love for your friends and family members. If you allow Christ to be at the center of your relationships, then the relationships will grow and flourish. My prayer is that people would come to realize this truth, because maybe if they did, we wouldn't have the problem with divorce, infidelity, and all the other Marriage troubles we have in this country. It is not easy to keep a relationship Christ-centered. But if you're going to work at developing a relationship, doesn't it make sense to have it be rooted in Christ?
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