Love is in the air as Valentine’s Day approaches.

Much more to the point for Christians, Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians, chapter 13 gives us a breakdown of what love is really all about. We can be brave, knowledgeable, and understand all mysteries, but if we don’t have love, it’s all useless! This brings to mind a personal experience of about forty years ago.

A fellow church member worked at an office just a short distance from my house. Every day during her lunch hour she would walk up to my house and I would make sandwiches and tea. Just before two o’clock she would return to her office. This went on for a couple of years but for some reason I did not like this woman. Her conversation was frankly, boring. I knew I was in spiritual trouble and finally phoned our pastor. I still recall his advice very clearly. “Get down on your knees and ask God to show you everything that’s good about this lady.”  I did just that and what a difference it made! The following Monday I really enjoyed our lunch time conversation. I realized later that she was still speaking about the same things and nothing had changed on the outside. Obviously my attitude had changed.

Love is one of the higher gifts of the Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:30). Love has never come easily to me and as a child I didn’t even like people kissing me. When I first attended church I would seek out the ‘interesting’ people after services, carefully avoiding the ‘boring’ ones. Now, thanks to God’s mercy and grace, I can chat comfortably with anyone – even young children.

Apparently there really was a Saint Valentine about seventeen hundred years ago. He spoke not only of love between husband and wife, boyfriend and girlfriend but anyone whom you love or admire.

God’s ways and thoughts are far above ours, but He is ready and willing to give us those gifts, including the gift of love. We just have to ask.