Valentine: What Love Is and What Love Is Not
There’s a special valentine invitation unlike any we’ve ever received. But first, we must understand what love is and what love is not.
When you think of Valentine’s Day, what memories come to mind?
Perhaps, Will you be mine? invites in grade school, college, and adulthood.
Maybe a special someone entered your life, you received a marriage proposal, or your spouse went over the top to celebrate your love.
Even a sweet childhood memory may still captivate us. Or, memories surrounding this love-holiday uncover feelings of emptiness or a lack of love.
But the most lavish, epic, and monumental Valentine’s Day to ever take place in history, celebrates the best kind of love—God’s love.
This is Love
So 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’ve been guilty of most at some point in my life.
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. Share on X
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 love or 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. Share on XA day of love. The most extravagant Valentine’s Day in history.
Jesus is calling, “Will you be mine?”
Do you belong to Jesus? Do you know God’s love?
Featured photos courtesy of Friday’s Forever on YouTube.
Last week’s post, Good News: An Extraordinary Love Story.
Sometimes I participate in these link-ups: Let’s Have Coffee/Embracing the Unexpected (Grace & Truth).
© 2026 by Karen Friday, All rights reserved
Wonderful, well-written article on what true love is all about! I will share it with others. Have a blessed Valentine’s Day with your husband and all the family.
My Quartet used to sing:
“What love, what love, what wonderful love,
Coming down from the Father above,
It flows through my soul, like the mighty billows roll.
What love! What wonderful love.”
Dr. Don
Hi Don, the lyrics to that song are so appropriate as a reminder of God’s mighty and wonderful love. Hope your Valentine’s Day was blessed–it points us directly to the Savior’s unconditional love for us. God bless.
Jesus was and is the greatest gift of love we could ever know, Karen. We can love others because God loved us first, showing us the way of true and everlasting love in Him. Thank you for blessing us with this Valentine’s message!
Agree, Martha! God outpouring His everlasting love on us daily, provides the overflow we need to love others in the strength of the Holy Spirit and Christ in us. God bless.
What a wonderful article on God’s True Unconditional Love. I truly enjoyed your article Karen and it comes at such a perfect time in my life. You see my grandma died 2/14/95, both my parents are deceased & my hubby passed away 1 year & months ago so it’s a nice Blessing & Reminder of God’s True Love. Thank you & Happy Valentine’s to you two. Continued prayers for Mike’s recovery.
Blessings, love, and hugs, Bernadette Adams
Glad this encouraged you, Bernadette. I’m sure the day of love is bittersweet for you. Know you miss Scott so much. I’m so thankful for God’s love that helps fill the emptyness we feel when loved ones are no longer with us. God bless.
Amen. I’m thankful for God’s love. Have a blessed day! 🙂
“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 bless!
Well said.
I’m so thankful for the love of Jesus first then for my worldly Valentine, my husband Bert♡
May you and Mike enjoy a very special Valentines Day this year Karen❤️
Bert & Michelle Martini
Yes, Michelle, the Lord first, then our earthly valentine. Thank you, we did enjoy a good day together, hope you and Bert did too. God bless.
What a blessing to discover the real love in Christ. We are truly blessed. Thanks Karen.
Yvonne, God’s love is extravagant and Calvary is the best love story ever told. God bless.
Karen, this is such a beautiful message of Christ’s love. Thank you for helping us unwrap the Scriptures to meditate on what God says love is and is not. With all the emphasis on lust, the truth about love, as defined by the Author of Love, can anchor our hearts. God bless you!
Melissa, thankful for the truth about love and like you said, how it “can anchor our hearts.” Especially, with a culture focused on skin-deep and artifical love. But oh how long and wide and deep is the love of God. God bless.
So good! Real love is when we love like God — agape, open, true. God’s love is perfect!
Jessica, thanks for reminding us how God’s love is perfect. “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)
[…] Last week’s post, Valentine: What Love Is and What Love Is Not. […]