A few years ago on Valentine’s Day, my husband surprised me with an incredibly sweet and romantic gift: a barbershop quartet. It was quite a surprise when this group of grandfathers showed up at my office, in their little bowties and vests, with a rose and the song “Let Me Call You Sweetheart.” It was great … but also a little awkward. Have you ever had to stand in front of a group of people who are singing only to you? I remember thinking, “This is the best, but I don’t know what to do! Just stand here? Smile? Sing along?” Even despite being a bit uncomfortable, it is such a great memory and one of the sweetest things he’s done for me.

Love doesn’t just include the sweet moments, though. It’s more than a feeling or those butterflies you get in your stomach. The Bible has a lot to tell us about love. One of the most well-known Bible passages, read at weddings around the world, tells us that love is patient and kind. It doesn’t get envious, which, here, means eager to possess. It isn’t proud or rude and it doesn’t demand what it wants. It doesn’t keep record of wrong. It isn’t easily irritated, doesn’t celebrate injustice. It doesn’t give up or lose faith. It is full of hope and endurance. 

That is a tough list. To be honest, I don’t always love like that. Sometimes I can be easily irritated. Sometimes I want to hold onto the hurt and keep record of it. Sometimes I want to rejoice when other people are proven wrong. That is not God’s way though. He calls us to fight against that nature and to love, not just our family and friends, but everyone we encounter, with a love like His. His love is unconditional, and it is perfect, so perfect that He gave His own life so that we might live. He put us, our need, above His own. 1 Corinthians 13, where the list above is found, tells us that three things will last forever, faith, hope and love, and that the greatest of these is love.

February is a month dedicated to love, but I don’t think we should just focus on romantic relationships. Instead, let’s take the opportunity to show love to all the people in our lives. Friends, family, coworkers, other kids at school, random strangers we encounter in Target. Let’s work to love everyone the way that God does, putting others above ourselves. Not easy, but always worth it.