Reflections on Divine Love
By Muriel Robb
Valentine’s Day is all about love—love between husband and wife, love between boyfriend and girlfriend, love for your children, and love for your parents. Love is in the air with music, candy, and Valentine’s cards. We get all romantic, and that is good. We should show our appreciation, caring, admiration, and love for our “someone.” It is great to have a special day to display our feelings. But what about every other day?
Every day should be a continual expression of love. Take a quick inventory of your attitude. How do you treat, react to, and respect those you love? Do you sometimes find that they are an easy target for your anger? Are you rude or courteous to your loved ones? How about the tone of your voice? Do you use “gutter” language? Do you say little mean things or use abusive language and think you are being “cute”? Do you guard your mouth?
Remember, it’s the little things that make a marriage, build a family, strengthen relationships, and make or break a friendship. Are you continually on the offensive, keeping a record of ills and grievances? Are you “thin‑skinned”? Do your actions, words, and attitude jeopardize your testimony in front of your family or friends? They say the empty truck makes the loudest noise.
We all know folks like that. It seems they are continually looking for issues and “drama” and have trouble being a good friend. Proverbs 17:17 says, “A friend loveth at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.” Are you this kind of friend, or are you prideful, boastful, and arrogant? If a friend offends you in some way, try to consider that it may not have been intentional. Forgive, and keep your friendship secure.
Remember, in marriage and friendship, kindness is not weakness but shows inner strength. Often, we see marriages and friendships break up because of selfishness, carnality, bitterness, conflict, and needless anger. People like this cause division in the church, in families, and in friendships. They blow up, fly off the handle, and are petty and childish. We all need to be more mature in our words and attitudes.
The Apostle Paul stated, “When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things,” 1 Corinthians 13:11. Romans 13:10 says, “Love worketh no ill to his neighbour.”
Are you aware that there are two types of tents: content and discontent? If you know the Lord, you will be in the contented tent. If you truly know the Lord, you will speak well of one another, not wanting to do harm to the church, your marriage, or your friendships. A husband will speak well of and give praise to his wife, and a wife will speak well of and give praise to her husband. The same goes for parents, children, family, and friends.
A man or woman who knows God intimately will have faith, be optimistic, and have a testimony that brings others to Him and to our message. An optimistic person guards their tongue and lives each day to its fullest—knowing love in the everyday “little things” that help build a successful and fulfilling marriage, family life, and friendships.
When we think of love this Valentine’s Day, let us not forget the Author of love—our Savior. He loved us enough to sacrifice His perfect life to forgive our sinful lives, that we might have not only eternal life with Him one day, but also an abundant life in the here and now. What love!
He created us with the capacity to love in marriage, to love our children, and to grow in love and maturity in our friendships. Jesus Christ is the greatest example of love. He created us, sacrificed His life for us, and shows mercy to us daily. Perhaps someday we will learn to trust Him completely to guide our marriages, families, and friendships. Perhaps we will once again learn to love Him as He has loved us. Perhaps we will once again learn to love our people. Perhaps we will once again give Him authority in our nation. Perhaps we will once again find rest for our souls.