Christmas aside, I believe we’re coming up on the most hypocritical day of the year.
Valentine’s Day.
A day when billions of dollars are spent on flowers, cards, candy, nice restaurants, movies, champagne, hotel rooms, etc…
All just to say “I love you”, and, “You’re very special to me.”
Am I advocating that everyone just forget the tradition and go about their evening with hotdogs and stale candy bars?
Nope. But I am saying that it’s hypocritical to act like you’re all lovey dovey on February 14th, when the rest of the year you’re a selfish jerk (or jerkette).
I learned something a good while ago, and here it is: flowers, candy, special notes, and the like will not automatically erase random acts of meanness.
Not sure what a hypocrite is?
Hypocrite is defined as a person who acts in contradiction to his or her stated beliefs or feelings.
So a Valentine’s Day Hypocrite is a person who says all the nice things on the 14th but is selfish the rest of the year.
True love is best described in 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 and John 15:13.
“Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends.” (1 Corinthians 13:4 – 13:8 ESV)
“Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.” (John 15:13 ESV)
I especially like the part that says, “Love never ends.” I take it to mean, “Love can’t be stopped.”
Regardless of the pressures, trials and struggles that every marriage faces at one time or another, those who choose to really love (and express that love by being kind to each other and putting their spouse above themselves) will have the sweetest, most rewarding life throughout the year.
And their love CAN’T be stopped!
Hypocrites always have to wonder if their box of candy will “doing the trick”.
Those who’ve decided to love all year long will find even a stale candy bar tastes great.
Jan Grace 