are you seeing what I’m seeing?
Hey Ya’ll!! So Valentine’s Day is right around the corner and with that, we start to see more advertisements surrounding Valentine’s Day gifts. On Instagram, TikTok and YouTube you’ll see content about love, what it means and what it looks like, right? It’s a lot…and if you’re not in a relationship or married, Valentine’s Day can make a girl feel straight up DOWN about her lack of a love life. But there’s more to love than gifts, cute IG Reels showcasing fancy dates, travels or couples living their best lives. There is nothing wrong with those things, I”m just saying…love is serious. So serious that I wanted to take time to dig into it a bit and explore with you what the bible says about love.
The bible truly is our guide for all things in life we may encounter. Looking for God in the moments where we feel lack or experience negative feelings based on what the world is showing us is extremely important for our hearts, minds, and spirits.
so what does the bible say about love?
For starters, one of the first scriptures that comes to mind when I think about love is Song of Songs 8:4. “Promise me O Women of Jerusalem, not to awaken love until the time is right.” NLT
The Shulammite woman goes on to explain in Song of Songs 8:6-7 that “…love is as strong as death, it’s jealousy unyielding as the grave. It burns like a blazing fire, like a mighty flame. Many waters cannot quench love, rivers cannot sweep it away. If one were to give all of the wealth of one’s house for love it would be utterly scorned.
Tell me that those emotions aren’t serious?!?!
These passages of scripture are describing the intensity of the Shulammite’s lover and his feelings for her. And while these are feelings that can and often do occur in love, there is also scripture that very clearly states what love actually is.
In 1st Corinthians 13:4-8 is where Jesus explains what love is.
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, is is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. it always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.
How easy it is to have the feelings of intense passion, jealousy, infatuation, cozy feels, anger and all the many other emotions that may come with love but not exercise patience, kindness, hope, perseverance or trust. Love takes work, it takes action, and it takes time. Are you committed to the time and effort it takes to be an expression of biblical love? If you still have work to do, it’s okay. We are all working on being more Christ like so KEEP GOING! Just don’t rush love before it’s due time, prepare yourself in the meantime to be all that the Lord calls us to be in love.
Valentine’s Day may give way to all of the relationship frills and maybe even the 1st Corinthians 13:4-8 love, but what’s most important is the work you’re doing and the work you’re allowing God to do through you in your own heart to truly embody what love is.
XOXO!
