Love God's Way

Friends, do not be dismayed if your spouse does not bring you something for Valentines day. It was not a holiday God commanded.

So many of these holidays were not given by God, but can cause hurt feelings when someone doesn't do what the world does or what someone else expects them to do.

There is no need for a special day to express our love toward someone. We do that every day as we walk through life with them if we are a kind and empathetic person.

Many years ago when I was very young I thought it was necessary for a spouse to do what everyone else was doing, with the candy, flowers and cards.

When I became born again I realized that a one time a year expression of friendliness with these things was not an indication of love, it was tradition people thought they had to do.

When our expression of "love" is based on expectations of others it loses its impact. I prefer to be shown love every day and in all circumstances than to be ignored all year and receive something that is "expected" out of obligation.

Our world has burdened the believer by all these "expected" holidays that have nothing to do with Christ's love or living His life.

The devil knew what he was doing when he developed these holidays. He managed to make people angry at someone for not giving them a gift, as though a gift is the real expression of love.

Then the devil managed to get other people to call one another up, further pressure, to ask "what did you get for Valentines day."

I am thankful that Christ never gave these holidays that promote psudo-love, based on appearances. God's love is played out every single day in those that love Him.

Isn't service and companionship toward those we love far more valuable than any gift that arrives once or twice a year?

None of the holidays were given by God! God gave the Lord's supper which is to be done whenever we come together and the focus is Christ.

When Christ is the leader, the lover and the purpose, then our love will be seen clearly without any fanfare.

Ephesians 4:2
"With all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love,"

The love of Christ in us is a daily matter, continual and consistent. I would rather have a loved one sit with me while I am sick than a gift sent to the house once a year.

I am blessed that during my surgeries my husband took very good care of me. He served me meals, sat with me when he could and saw to my every need. Flowers or candy once a year could not compare to that devotion.

Those who walk through life with you are the ones who love you. Christ does that everyday. The gift of God is companionship in hard and good times. Sharing the sadness along with the joys is what happens when there is love.

1 John 3:14-19
We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brothers. Whoever does not love abides in death. Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him. By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers.

Forget about the once a year gifts and remember the ways your spouse stood by you when you needed them.

Dehumanization is a Fallen World

We are living in a time of dehumanization. There are many people who treat friends and relatives like objects to be used and discarded when they are no longer useful.

Two very good examples of this is divorce and remarriage as well as abortion.

When we can throw people away because they are having problems or don't act exactly the way we think they should, we are practicing dehumanization.

The Nazi death camps were a demonstration of the dehumanization of human beings. People being treated like objects always leads to atrocities.

Do not think for one moment that we have escaped this mentality of using and tossing human beings. Our culture is full of people who discard someone before they can ever work out a problem.

It is very difficult in our time to talk with most people about problem solving. Since no one is willing to admit their sin against others, using justification and blaming as their main tactic, they cannot stand by someone who is irritating them to be able to have empathy for them.

Self is on the throne in our culture, so much so that attempting to work out a problem is often the catalyst to escalation. War breaks out often when one party wants to talk a matter through and the other is enraged at the suggestion.

2 Timothy 3:1-5
3 But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come. 2 For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good, 4 treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5 holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power; Avoid such men as these."

We can maintain our joy when we know this is to be expected in these last day. Its not about us, its the condition of the world we live in and its spiritual.