Happy Valentine's Day!
Audio Recording here.
Good morning and Happy Valentine’s Day!
A couple of years ago,
the Guardian ran an article on Valentines Day disasters as seen by waiters. Apparently,
waiters see all kinds of interesting things on Valentines’ day. One thing is
that guys often try to overimpress their dates by complaining about the wine to
try and show off. One particular guy complained that the cork had been damaged
but the waiter had to explain that it was a screw top bottle [1].
Well I hope you don’t have a Valentines Day disaster. Having
met my wife in my thirties, for many years, the only valentine’s card I got was
from my mum. She always signed it with a question mark, but I knew it was from
her from the handwriting on the envelope, but it was reassuring to get nevertheless.
She actually signed it in pencil so that I could reuse the card sometime!
Well whether you are in the excitement of romance right now,
or whether Valentine’s day is a tough day for you, can I tell you some good
news which applies to everyone whatever their relationship status. And that’s a
verse from the Bible found in John which goes to the heart of what true love
is: “This is how we know what love is: Jesus
Christ laid down his life for us”. (1 John 3:16)
When you really love someone, you’ll do anything for them,
even if it costs money, time. You know someone really loves you when they make
sacrifices for you.
Well Jesus’ love is a costly love for the unlovely who don’t
deserve his love!
I once heard the story of a guy who took his girlfriend out
for a romantic meal, but over that meal, she opened up about all the mistakes
she had made in the past, and all the baggage from previous guys that would
inevitably be carried into their relationship. She realised that she had really
upset her partner, and thought that probably he wouldn’t want to be with her
any more. As she sat their sobbing over a plate of food that had long gone
cold, her boyfriend did an amazing thing. He walked over to her, hugged her,
got down on one knee and said “I love you anyway, will you marry me”. Now the
kind of love that God has for us is like that. It’s undeserved love. It’s costly
love for people that have blown it. Jesus love is seen for us in the way that
he loves the unlovely.
And that is great news for all of us, whether romance is in
the air or not. Jesus Christ knows the worst about you, and yet if you’ll
receive him, he wants to love you with a costly, life giving love that never
fails and never ends.
Have a great day. Happy Valentines!
Charlie Newcombe 14FEB24