Valentine's Day

Hey ya’ll! So today is February 13.

Which means tomorrow is Valentine’s Day!! 

Every year in February, our youth group does sermons about love and all that fun stuff. These past two weeks have been about love and dating and such, and this blog post is just going to be some re-caps of some of the awesome teachings I have heard. This post also includes some articles I’ve read, and lyrics from Lauren Daigle, Steffany Gretzinger, and Ellie Holcomb. I hope you are able to get something out of it! 

The first point I would like to make today is that there is so much more to life than being in a romantic relationship. There s SO MUCH more to life than finding someone who will love you or to be sad over someone who doesn’t. 

There’s a lot of time to be spent discovering yourself!! Fill yourself with love! Go on adventures! Hang out with your friends! Doodle by yourself in a coffee shop! Leave notes in library books! Give to others! Smile a lot! Live for yourself and God and be happy on your own! I promise it isn’t any less beautiful!

Hang out with Jesus and get deeply rooted in his love. Let God tell you who you are. You aren’t beautiful because boys say so. You aren’t a man because ladies love you. Get your identity from Him because He knows you, created you, and His love for you is steady, unlike the wavering opinions of people. 

Another important thing to remember is there is no part of your life where you simply have to survive and not thrive. God uses every part our lives to grow us and prepare us for the incredible things He has ahead. Chase after complete freedom and abundant life, not only in this season, but in every one to come.

Know that in Christ you are His. You are found, loved, pure, alive, healed, and free. God is strong and good and true. He is the light in the darkness and he ism ore than enough. He is always here. God is love, hope, grace, and everything we need. Give Him your heart and let Him speak to you what is true. 

Another tip I have learned is how to prepare. 

You must be committed to preparing for commitment. 

Preparing for, well anything, isn’t always black and white, but there’s a few things that we can do to be ready for what God has in store. 

*Be the person that the person you’re looking for is looking for. Have good habits, clean words, pure thoughts, giving hands. Be generous, be understanding, and love Jesus with your entire being. 

*Know that a “no” from God has goodness written all over it. 

*Stop sitting around waiting for the right person to come along, and start preparing yourself for when they do. 

*Become an expert at being you. 

*Focus all your attention on your relationship with God. 

*Trust God. 

*Allow jesus to be the one that satisfies you and take your focus off of trying to find someone else. 

*Only those pursuing God’s heart should be pursuing yours. 

*Thank God for the seemingly good and the seemingly bad because often times we can’t see the difference. 

Wait for God’s timing. Wait because you are God’s treasure. Wait when everyone else is giving in. 

It takes a strong person to remain single in a world that is accustomed to settling with anything just to say they have something. 

When you are 100% focused on God all of a sudden there will be a person alongside you doing life and striving after God with you. Don't forget that Jesus presents some of his best gifts when we least expect it.  So wait with open hearts and empty hands. “That which you wait for the longest you treasure the most, and through much struggle the prize is won.”

The next thing we must do is truly come to know God and to know the difference between God and the world. 

The world says to give, but keep more. God tells us to give everything. The world says to bail when it gets tough, but God tells us to persevere and look to Him. 

The difference between God’s view of love and the world’s is sometimes hard to decipher, when in all reality they are very different. It’s kind of like Mr. Pibb and Dr. Pepper. The devil tries to tell us that the two are similar and they taste alike but they are completely different things.

We live in a world that constantly expects us to be in a relationship. for entertainment, fulfillment of loneliness, pleasure. the world  says “only when its convenient”. But the Bible says the purpose of dating is to glorify God, point to Jesus, give and not get. 

Trust the Lord. He promises that He will give us just what we need. God keeps His promises. God is sovereign. He will be faithful in putting the right people in our lives. 

Learn to accept God’s GIFT to you-singleness. Yes, it’s a gift! Thank Him for your heartbreak, because it has taught you to trust Him. 

We come to the Lord with pieces of our broken heart but He is always there to hold us together when we fall apart. His love never changes, and in His name there is healing. He holds us together when we are in the midst of our deepest pain. God can take broken things and make them beautiful. He will make a way. 

When we come with our broken hearts, the Lord says, “My child, don’t you believe that I know who you will marry and that I’m capable of leading you to that person? Can you also believe that I am the God of all creation? I know you better than you know yourself. I am perfectly able to bring this person into your life in my own time and in my own way and I don’t need your help.” God is constant. His love is endless. He is faithful. Always and forever. 

Lastly, don’t let the pain get you down. There’s a reason for the journey, there’s purpose in the learning, and we just have to remember that not everything in life comes naturally or easily. But, we’re getting there, and His presence is the promise. 

So this Valentine’s Day I challenge you. I challenge you to love everyone you lay your eyes on today, and share Christ’s love with them. But I also challenge you to look to the Lord. Say, “Jesus, you are my strength and comfort. You are my steady hand, my rock, and my firm foundation. Your love is loyal. You are more faithful than the rising sun. Even when my world shakes and falls, your love is unshaken and constant and perfect and unwavering. I know your plans are always good and I will trust in you.”

Happy Valentine’s Day, everybody. I love you, and Jesus Christ loves you too! God bless!