By Karen Friday 

February is the month of love. We celebrate a day of love, Valentine’s Day, and the idea of love all month long. But what if there’s a day of love unlike any we’ve ever known? What is love and what isn’t love?

Is It a Day of Love For You?

Perhaps your memory bank holds a special Valentine’s Day. One that’s near and dear to your heart. Maybe a special someone entered your life, you received a marriage proposal from the love of your life, or your spouse went over the top to celebrate your love. 

Even a sweet childhood memory may still captivate you.

Or, your memories surrounding this love holiday and month uncover feelings of emptiness or a lack of love. Memories from childhood to the present you’d rather forget. 

What Love Is and What Love Is Not

Many of us have experienced both highs and lows regarding love. But the most lavish, epic and monumental day of love to ever take place in history celebrates the best kind of love – God’s extravagant love.

First, let’s look at what love is and what love is not.

The Bible contains some of the most powerful and beautiful words ever penned on love. 

“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.” 1 Corinthians 13:4-8a (ESV)

What Love Is Not

God’s Word helps us wrap our heads around this kind of love through compare and contrast from 1 Corinthians 13.

Love is not: envious, boastful, proud, dishonoring to others, self-seeking, easily angered, keeping a record of wrongs and delighting in evil.

I don’t know about you, but my human nature struggles with all these.

Yet, God’s extravagant love remains our only hope for overcoming these unloving attributes. And when we truly live the crucified life—Jesus living in and through us—the Spirit wins over our flesh more and more often.

What Love Is 

1 Corinthians 13 clarifies the wonderful qualities of real love.

Love is: patient, kind, rejoicing with the truth, protective, trusting, hopeful, persevering and unfailing.

Although our Lord remains the only one to perfectly love as described here, Paul penned these words through the Holy Spirit. And the letter was for the church in Corinth and for God’s people today. 

The heavenly Father never left us hanging by only cuing us in on how not to love. No, the Creator of love always wanted us to know and show real love.

Extravagant Love Story

Merriam-Webster online defines extravagant: “exceeding the limits of reason or necessity; lacking in moderation, balance, and restraint; extremely or excessively elaborate, unreasonably high in price; spending beyond what is necessary.”

Have you ever experienced this kind of love? Whether you have or not, a time in history marks the most extravagant day of love ever. It exceeded reason and showed no restraint and came at a high price. 

Most Extravagant Day of Love Ever

Here are three verses that describe the most extravagant day of love ever:

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16 (ESV)

“But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8 (ESV)

“This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.” 1 John 4:10 (NIV)

A day of love. The most extravagant day of love to ever take place in history.  Jesus died on the cross for me and for you, then rose from the dead to give us eternal life and extravagant love.

I accepted this extravagant love at sixteen. 

How about you? Jesus is calling, “Will you be mine?” 

Do you belong to him? Do you know his love?

He loves you with an everlasting love. 

Wife Step: In a journal or notebook, make two columns for what love is and what love is not. Use the list above from 1 Corinthians 13, then add practical ways you can display real love in your marriage. 

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