Real Love

"This is how we know love: Jesus laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters." 1 John 3:16


A lot of people don't know that Valentine's Day actually has Christian roots. It began as a celebration of St. Valentine, a persecuted priest named Valentinus in ancient Rome who married soldiers to their sweethearts in opposition to orders from the Emperor. He was jailed for his actions and tradition says that he sent a note to his beloved from prison and signed it: from your Valentine. And so, now we wear red and pink and eat lots of chocolate. Not sure, exactly, how we got there.

However, the church has always had a corner on the market when it comes to love, for God IS love. And we know what love is because it was personified in Jesus Christ. Love is laying down your life for others. For Christians, this means that we are called to lay down our lives for the world, because God has commanded us to love our neighbor. That means we are willing to do anything and make any sacrifice that they might know that they are loved and accepted by God. In marriage, this idea is taken to its fullest. This is what Christian marriage is supposed to look like. We are supposed to love our spouses by laying down our lives for them, every day, for a lifetime. That's what marriage is about. It's not about a wedding. It's not about roses on Valentine's Day or dinner on your anniversary. Marriage is about the daily denial of self for the someone you deeply love. Marriage is about emptying self to serve another for a lifetime.  On a day for lovers, I am very grateful for the woman that has poured her life out to love me for nearly 12 years. I don't deserve her, but I'm thankful for my sweet Emily's love. She has been an example of 1 John 3:16 every day. I hope I am to her. I hope that at the end of my days, one of my crowning achievements will be that I gave my life to another, that I made her happy, that I served her, and that I laid down my wants, needs and desires in devotion to hers.  May it be the same with you and yours.