Less than a week to go! The day that “Young Love” longs for every year, and that Cupid only exists for! Yep, six days to February 14^th and VALENTINES DAY! The day that all thoughts turns to Love and the world is plastered with hearts! Whether we consider St. Valentine’s Day a Christian Holiday or not, it must be recognized that THE BIBLE sure has a lot to say about Love. In fact, I would like to take just a minute and share some of those verses with you! (Author’s Note: In the KING JAMES Version, “Charity” and “Love” are synonymous!)

• 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 – Charity suffereth long, [and] is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,
• 1 Corinthians 16:14 – Let all your things be done with charity.
• 1 John 4:8 – He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.
• Mark 12:29-31 – ²⁹ And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments [is], Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord: ³⁰ And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this [is] the first commandment.³¹ And the second [is] like, [namely] this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.
• John 13:34-35 – A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.
• Colossians 3:14 – And above all these things [put on] charity, which is the bond of perfectness.
• John 15:13 – Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.
• 1 John 4:7 – Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.
• 1 Peter 4:8 – And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins.
• John 14:15 – If ye love me, keep my commandments.
• 1 John 4:18 – There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.
• 1 Corinthians 13:13 – And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these [is] charity.

Pretty good stuff, huh? And, this isn’t even all that THE BIBLE has to say about Love! Now, if we took time to elaborate on all of these we would be here until Easter, so I’m going to concentrate on only one:

• John 15:13 – Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.

A few years back my good friend, Mike Riches, gave me a “take” on this verse that I had never considered before. In essence, he noted that “death” is not the only way we can “lay down our lives.” Rather, he explained, if we have plans and someone asks us to set them aside and do something else, especially something we may not particularly want to do, and we do it, that, too, is laying doing our lives. While dying may be the ultimate example of selflessness, it is, by no means, the only example of selflessness!

You see, that’s what Love is all about – – replacing selfishness with selflessness! It’s not the acquisition and re-appropriation of flowers, chocolates, and stuffed animals. It’s not dinner in a dimly lit bistro, nor a stroll along the beach under a breathtaking sky of twinkling stars. It’s the willingness to do anything for the one you love – – even laying down your life, regardless of what form that may take!!!