Valentine’s Day.  Most people either love it or dread it.  There’s not much in between.  And it is a holiday that can have so many expectations wrapped up in it no matter if you are single, dating or married.

However, understanding God’s design of love can help you see this Valentine’s Day in a whole new way.

God’s Word tells us in I Corinthians 13 the definition of love.  And this type of love is not just the the romance, chocolate and sex that we see portrayed in the media.  It is so much more.  Listen to this…

“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.” – I Corinthians 13:4-8 (NIV)

Did you notice that it says love is not self-seeking?  In the New Living Translation it says, love “does not demand its own way.”  Now I want you to ask yourself a couple questions.  If you are in a relationship, does your boyfriend or husband demand certain things from you sexually?  If so, that is not true love.   And on the flip side, do you demand that your boyfriend or husband do something romantic for you (especially on certain holidays)?  If so, that is also not true love.

For those of you that are single, it is important to realize that love is so much more than just the romantic and sexual type of love.  In fact the Bible describes three different types of love in the Greek language used in the New Testament.

Eros – sexual/physical love

Phileo – friendship love

Agape – unconditional love

If you have a void in your life in the area of eros love this Valentine’s Day, realize that God desires to fill you to overflowing with His agape love.  I did some research and the word love in I Corinthians 13 and in Ephesians 3 that I refer to below are both agape love in the original Greek language.  Unconditional love.

And so, no matter what your relationship status this Valentine’s Day, this is my prayer for you:

That you “may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height – to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.  Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.” – Ephesians 3:18-21