With Valentine’s Day coming this week, there are a few things that will happen. There will be dinners had, gifts exchanged and received, and love will be expressed in a variety of ways.

Each of us have been shown love from our Heavenly Father. John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”

Since love has been shown for us all, it is important to understand what love truly is and what it is not. Love is further discussed in 1 Corinthians 13. In verses 4-7, it says, “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.”

While love is described to be many things, why is love important? God has shown love for all of us not only because he loved the world, but because God is love as indicated in 1 John 4:8 when it says, “Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.”

Love should never be limited to one day, neither should the opportunity to express love to those we care for. Valentine’s Day offers the opportunity to show someone how much we care. Why is that impossible to sustain that after the holiday? God’s love does not cease whether it is a holiday or not. Do we know God’s love? Are we showing God’s love?