Have several samples of Valentine cards. Show them as you begin. Then ask a few questions like these, choosing those appropriate for your audience—whether adults, children, or a mixed group:
- What are these?
- Do you like to get Valentines?
- Who sends you Valentines?
- Wouldn’t it be sad if you didn’t get a Valentine?
- Do you know how people came to celebrate St. Valentine’s Day?
According to one legend, a young Christian priest whose name was Valentine lived in Italy a long time ago. He was imprisoned because of his faith in Jesus. He wanted to contact his family to let them know that he was all right. Some violets grew just outside his cell window. He picked some of the heart-shaped leaves, scratched the words “Remember your Valentine” onto the leaves, and sent them off by a friendly dove. The next day, he sent another message that said simply, “I love you.”
According to the legend, Valentine died on February 14, and every year after that, Christians remembered Valentine and celebrated his day, the day Jesus took him home to heaven.
We don’t know if this legend is true or not. Other people tell other legends about Saint Valentine, and some parts of all the stories seem somewhat unlikely. But we celebrate Valentine’s Day anyway. It gives all of us a chance to express friendship and affection to those close to us.
A well-known maxim says, “Actions speak louder than words.” This is especially true when it comes to love. It’s easy to say we love someone. We make those words easier to believe when we do what is best for the other person, especially when doing that is a sacrifice for us. We give up watching this afternoon’s basketball game to take our wife or daughter to the mall. We give up our favorite cartoon show to help dad clean the garage. We agree to see the movie our friend wants instead of insisting on the one we’d rather see.
We tell others that we love them, but we also demonstrate our commitment to them. We understand this best when we think about how God showed his love for us:
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
John 3:16
Many of us know this verse “by heart”! When we memorize words or learn them “by heart,” we can remember them always. These are especially good words to learn by heart, because they remind us that God’s heart toward us is a heart of love and forgiveness.
Jesus was like God’s Valentine to us. God didn’t just tell us he loved us, he showed us his love. He gave us the very best gift he could give—his one and only Son, Jesus. Jesus became our Savior. He let himself be nailed to a rough, wooden cross. There, he suffered the punishment we should have suffered for our sins, for all the times we hurt others instead of loving them and for all the times we disobey God.
Think of how very much God must love us to give us Jesus! Think how very much Jesus must love us to die for us! Deep down inside we all want to be loved. We don’t want to be forgotten or left out. God doesn’t want anyone to be left out either.
Today, I want you to remember that you are God’s Valentine. You have received God’s gift of love! And you can share that gift! (How will you do that? Think about it!)
Happy Valentine’s Day in Jesus!
Editor’s Note: This devotion is adapted from one of several devotions for Valentine’s Day available for free from CTA. Some are tied to current CTA Valentine’s Day products, but all can be adapted for use in your setting.
