A Special Valentine Invitation: Will You be Mine?
What if there’s a special valentine invitation unlike any we’ve ever received?
When you think of love and Valentine’s Day, what memories come to mind?
Perhaps you received Will you be mine? invites in grade school, college, and into adulthood.
Maybe a special someone entered your life, you received a marriage proposal from the love of your life, or your spouse went over the top to celebrate your love.
Even a sweet childhood memory may still captivate us.
Or, your memories surrounding this love-holiday uncover feelings of emptiness or a lack of love.
Memories from childhood to the present you’d rather forget.
Because many of us have experienced both highs and lows when it comes to love and special valentine invitations.
But the most lavish, epic, and monumental Valentine’s Day to ever take place in history, celebrates the best kind of love—God’s extravagant love.
This is Love
First, let’s look at what love is and what love is not.
The Bible contains some of the most powerful and beautiful words ever penned on love.
“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it 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.” 1 Corinthians 13:4-8a (ESV)
What Love is Not
God’s Word helps us wrap our heads around this kind of love through compare and contrast from 1 Corinthians 13.
Love is not: envious, boastful, proud, dishonoring to others, self-seeking, easily angered, keeping a record of wrongs, and delighting in evil.
Ouch! I don’t know about you, but I’m guilty of all.
Yet, God’s special love remains our only hope for overcoming these unloving attributes. And when we truly live the crucified life—Jesus living in and through us—the Spirit wins over our flesh more and more often.
What Love is
1 Corinthians 13 clarifies the wonderful qualities of God’s extravagant love.
Love is: patient, kind, rejoicing with the truth, protective, trusting, hopeful, persevering, and unfailing.
Love is: patient, kind, rejoicing with the truth, protective, trusting, hopeful, persevering, and unfailing. The Creator of love always wanted us to know and show real love. Click To Tweet
Although our Lord remains the only one to perfectly love as described here, Paul penned these words through the Holy Spirit. And the letter was for the church in Corinth and for God’s people today.
The heavenly Father never left us hanging by only cuing us in on how not to love. No, the Creator of love always wanted us to know and show real love.
Special Valentine Invitation
Merriam-Webster online defines extravagant: “exceeding the limits of reason or necessity; lacking in moderation, balance, and restraint; extremely or excessively elaborate, unreasonably high in price; spending beyond what is necessary.”
Wow! Have you ever experienced this kind of Valentine’s Day? Or, have you ever received this kind of special valentine invitation?
Whether you have or not, a time in history marks the most extravagant love-day ever. It exceeded reason and showed no restraint and came at a high price.
God’s Special Valentine Love
“I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore I have continued my faithfulness to you.” Jeremiah 31:3b (ESV)
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16 (ESV)
“But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8 (ESV)
“This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.” 1 John 4:10 (NIV)
When God drew back His bow, He hit dead center the target of real love. Jesus’ heart was pierced for me and you on Calvary’s cross.
When God drew back His bow, He hit dead center the target of real love. Jesus’ heart was pierced for me and you on Calvary’s cross. Click To TweetA day of love. The most extravagant Valentine’s Day in history.
Jesus is calling, “Will you be mine?”
Jesus is calling, “Will you be mine?” It's the most extravagant love and special valentine invitation ever extended. Click To Tweet
Do you belong to Jesus? Do you know God’s love?
Last week, we looked at, 6 Sources of Real Joy Never Taken From Us
Sometimes I participate in these link-ups:
Legacy Linkup/Inspire Me Monday/Tell His Story/Recharge Wednesday/Let’s Have Coffee/Tune in Thursday/Heart Encouragement/Embracing the Unexpected (Grace & Truth) and Faith On Fire.
© 2022 by Karen Friday, All rights reserved
Love this. I have been doing 14 days of Valentines on my Instagram and they are all quotes about God’s love for us.
Wonderful, Lauren. I’ll have to check them out.
I really enjoyed this post. Thank you!
Thanks for visiting and commenting, Rebecca. Love is: patient, kind, rejoicing with the truth, protective, trusting, hopeful, persevering, and unfailing.
Amen. He calls us because He loves us. Beautiful message Karen.
Thanks, Melissa. “This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.” 1 John 4:10 (NIV)
Jesus is and always will be our true Valentine, Karen!
Blessings!
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16 (ESV)
God bless, Martha!
I love this description of Christ’s sacrifice on the cross, Karen: “the most extravagant love-day ever. It exceeded reason and showed no restraint and came at a high price.” Well said!
Grateful this spoke to your heart, Melinda. Oh, the extravagant love of Jesus.
Love this:
“When God drew back His bow, He hit dead center the target of real love. Jesus’ heart was pierced for me and you on Calvary’s cross.”
Yes, yes, yes!
Thank you, Ava. Glad this resonated with you. I’m grateful for the greatest love celebration in history–when Jesus died and rose from the dead for me and you.
Jesus is the ultimate valentines and I am His and He is mine. Thanks Karen
Yvonne, it’s so great to belong to Christ, all the while, as He is our Lord, Savior, Deliverer, friend, and lover of our soul.
Wonderful post Ms. Karen. Thank you for reminding us that God is the standard for love that all must be measured against. “For God so loved… “
That’s true, J.D. “But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8 (ESV)
Love this so much! God’s love is the truest, most perfect there is. It sets the standard. This Valentine’s Day, those longing for love or focused on love would do well to look not to sappy movies but to the Holy Bible, where we find God’s beautiful love letter to all of humanity.
Jessica, this is great, “…those longing for love or focused on love would do well to look not to sappy movies but to the Holy Bible, where we find God’s beautiful love letter to all of humanity.” “This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.” 1 John 4:10 (NIV)
God’s love is a model for all of our relationships. Tenderness, devotion, and commitment.
His extravagant love shows us how to love others well and how not to love as expressed in 1 Corinthians 13. Thank you, Nancy.
It was God’s law that showed me I needed a Savior, but it was His love that melted me and assured me I could come to Him. So thankful for His gracious invitation and I pray many respond to it with their love and faith.
This is so beautifully said, Barbara, “It was God’s law that showed me I needed a Savior, but it was His love that melted me and assured me I could come to Him.” Thanks for sharing!
I love your pairing of Valentine’s Day and the love chapter. What better way to learn about love?
I am his and he is mine; the lover of my soul today and every day.
Hallelujah and Maranatha Amen Sister in JESUS-YESHUA CHRIST-MESSIAH Karen!!
( I Corinthians 13:13 KJV ) “And now Abideth FAITH, HOPE, CHARITY ( LOVE ), these Three; but the Greatest of These is CHARITY 💕( LOVE ).”!!
Shalom Aleichem and Mazel Tov Everyone!! 💕
I Love 💕 you all Everyone through Jesus-Yeshua Christ, because 💕 HE LOVED EVERYONE FIRST 💕 !! Praise Jesus-Yeshua Christ for Today and Everyday!!
GOD BLESS YOU ALL ✝️ !!
Love 💕 Always and Shalom, YSIC \o/
Kristi Ann
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