Showing Love

Valentine’s Day can be a tricky day. For some, they want to take their friendship to the next level and for others, they may not be quite sure, but all of the messaging in our culture tells them that they should be buying roses and chocolates for the ones that they love. It can also trigger a sense of loss in those that might have lost a loved one or have an estranged relationship with one that they care about. The media and our culture have created a message that love is perfect and a gift can solve all of your problems. Unfortunately, we know that this is not true. As believers, it is important for us to be a reflection of God’s love. We share some practical ways that you can share love with others this Valentine’s Day.

^“My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you^.Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you. This is my command: Love each other.” John 15:12-17

Five Ways to Share God’s Love with Others

Write a love letter. Think about someone in your life that might need some encouragement. It could be a friend, neighbor, teammate, co-worker or someone you interact with every day. Write them a note about why you appreciate them. It could be something that they have done for you, a characteristic that you admire about them, or an encouraging verse. This can be something fun to do as a family, group of friends or a small group. You might even want to do it anonymously. Then you can share if there are some stories that come from it.
Do a random act of kindness. Pray and ask God to show you someone that you can do a random act of kindness to and what type of service that you can do. It can be mowing a neighbor’s lawn, making a meal for a family in need, or making a donation to your church or non-profit. Try and have it be something that people won’t be able to detect what you did. You might even want to take a box of Valentine’s from the store and write random notes of encouragement and leave them in different places as you go about your day. From the coffee shop to the grocery store, hide the notes in different places that people will find them.
Do a love bombardment. Have each person in your family or small group write their name on the top of a piece of paper. Rotate the piece of paper and have each person write down why they appreciate them, a characteristic that they love or a fun memory they have of the person. Then they can tuck that piece of paper away in their Bible, desk or another place and then when they have a bad day or are feeling down, they can take out the paper and reflect on how others appreciate them. This can be a great way for others to share what they appreciate in someone else, that often times does not get shared in the busyness of life.
Reflect on God’s love. The best way that we can show others love is by reflecting God’s love. We experience God’s love by taking time to pray and read God’s word. Take time this week to read passages on God’s love. Write down things that stick out to you about His character, how He demonstrated his love and how others responded. Pray and ask God to help you understand His love so that you can love others. Write a love letter to God thanking Him for the ways that He has shown His love to you.
Sit down as a family, small group or group of friends and think of some ways that you can serve together. It might be volunteering at your church or ministry or doing an outreach or service project. Before serving, take time to pray for the day. Pray for the people that you will be serving that they could come to know God’s love. Pray for your group that God would give you the words to share and the actions to show. Pray that God would help you to love others even if it might be difficult. After you serve together, take time to share with one another what you saw, what you learned and how you want the experience to shape what you do on a daily basis.

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