True Love on Valentine’s Day, No Matter Your Relationship Status

Valentine’s Day—a holiday typically adored by swoony couples and loathed by singles everywhere. Where do you land on that spectrum? 

I didn’t date in high school. It was more a matter of circumstance than a conscious choice. In my circle of close friends—which included boys and girls in near equal proportions—we tended to keep our crushes to ourselves. If one of us liked another, no one heard about it. Which certainly prevented things from becoming awkward.

But every year without fail, I received a flower—usually a red carnation—during the National Honor Society’s annual flower sale on Valentine’s Day. A student delivered it right to my classroom, and I accepted it with a blush, knowing it wasn’t from a boy who had taken a shine to me. 

These flowers came from my mom.

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A Deeper Kind of True Love on Valentine’s Day

What teenage girl doesn’t dream of sparking the interest of a respectable boy, if for no other reason than to prove she’s valued? I won’t pretend I wasn’t a little bit disappointed this didn’t appear to be true for me.

But I’m not lying when I say part of me—a deeper part—was immensely pleased by this show of love. Those flowers proved I had value to someone. I didn’t have romance, but I had love.

The folly of Valentine’s Day lies in the fact that our culture equates love with romance, and anything less is considered inferior.

Do you believe that?

What about your parents, who embrace you first thing in the morning when your hair is still a mess and you’ve got that desperate-for-caffeine scowl on your face? Do you consider that inferior love?

What about your best friend, who lets you cry on her shoulder, knowing you’ll leave mascara stains on her shirt? Or your brother, who treats the word “love” like a swear and avoids saying it at all costs, then takes on the school bully when he targets you.

Are those inferior to romance?

True Love That Lasts

Someone else loves you too. He did more than send you flowers on Valentine’s Day—he created them. He defined true love with his sacrifice on the cross, then shared his Word with you and made himself known to you. He put his spirit in your heart so you could believe when believing would otherwise be impossible. He never sleeps, never looks away, never leaves your side. His is the love that matters most.

So even if you have no one else, romantic or otherwise, you will never be unloved, thanks to Jesus. He is the ultimate source of true love on Valentine’s Day.

“Jesus loves me, this I know. For the Bible tells me so …”  

The entire Bible is one epic love story, the story of God’s love for all humankind. So while it’s impossible to list every verse that evidences his love, I’ll give a few starters for anyone searching for true love on Valentine’s Day. (And I’m leaving it up to you to look them up on your own so you can read them in context!)

• Isaiah 54:10
• Zephaniah 3:17
• John 3:16 (Don’t let the familiarity of this one prevent you from looking it up. There’s more to be said in the surrounding verses.)
• John 15:13
• 1 John 4:9-11
• Romans 5:8
• Romans 8:37-39 (Popular verses, but all of Romans 8 is amazing. Don’t miss out!)
• Ephesians 2:4-5
• 1 John 3:1
• 1 John 4:9-11

Spread love on Valentine’s Day!

Whether your status is single, in a relationship, or “it’s complicated,” you can spread love on Valentine’s Day. Take the time to appreciate someone who is not your romantic interest. Flowers for Mom, a poem for Grandpa, a special hike in the woods with Dad …

In your prayers, thank God for the great people he put in your life. Then go on a treasure hunt through the Bible and bask in the profound love of Jesus. 

Because he created love!

Take it Further

Bursting with love? Try sharing some with your nemesis: Happy Valentine’s Day: With Love, to My Enemies. And learn more about God’s love in God So Loved the World (article from Desiring God).