By Obinna Azogu
Jesus explained the love required and taught by God.
In Matthew 22:37-40 he said, [37] “…Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. [38] This is the first and great commandment. [39] And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. [40] On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.
Of the love I seen in scripture and worthy of celebration for believers in Christ, may I make my position clear. I have no need of learning from any Valentine nor marking out a day to celebrating this human demonstration of love.
You may ask why.
Please Read: 1 Thessalonians 4:9. It says, “But as touching brotherly love ye need not that I write unto you: for YE YOURSELVES ARE TAUGHT OF GOD to love one another.”
The great Teacher of true love is God, and we need not learn from no one else.
I don’t celebrate Valentine love. He has nothing to teach me of love in action or how to celebrate it.
Take note:1 John 4:18, the Bible says, “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.”
The above is the kind of love I desire and seek that all be taught. God’s kind of love, taught by God.
Valentine died and he is not eternal. His love is human. I prefer to learn love that cast out fears. Not love taught by Valentine. God’s love cast out fear of judgement against sin. That is the love God teaches. And God is committed to his love.
I believe that the basis of love is commitment: so in a relationship where there is genuine love, there is never any fear of deceit, manipulation, or exploitation. If I share this love in my family and outside, it benefits all. Romans 13:10, states that “Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.”
As one being helped by God to grow in grace and in the knowledge of Jesus Christ, I resolved that Valentine love doesn’t meet this eternal standard of love and should not be looked up to.
Moreover, as much as I have observed in this life, the Valentine love as largely celebrated is not devoid of deceit, manipulation, or exploitation. Many sexual ills and moral failures mingle with it.
Friends, I hold that Valentine love or day is not worth giving the attention it commands. It’s a huge distraction from God’s desired or required submission, so that we may be taught love by God. (1 Thessalonians 4:9).
Does this offend anyone. No apologies. This is how I am persuaded in this matter.
Nevertheless, if pleases you to celebrate Valentine love, go by your own persuasion or conviction under God. But I request that together with my family, we have no need of wishes for Valentine love. It’s no standard. If we can learn God’s love, its enough.
Conclusion: 1 John 4:10,19: “Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. [19] We love him, because he first loved us.
God committed Himself to love us. His love demonstrated by Jesus Christ is more than all, and effective in all human relationship. God’s love is a huge lesson to learn and it changes the narratives.
