MATTERS OF THE HEART

From My Perspective - - -

Valentine’s Day is a time set aside where expressions of Love are to be expressed and demonstrated. Most do this by sending a card, or giving Candy, or sending a Bouquet of Flowers. As a matter of fact, “The U.S. Greeting Card Association estimates that approximately one billion valentines are sent each year world-wide.” In many classrooms in our nation, younger children exchange cards with their teachers and friends. Basically, this is intended to be an expression of love.

Love is more than an expression. It should be an overflow from the character and personality of one individual that affects and impacts another. It is an inner gift that utilizes words and deeds to demonstrate true feeling and emotion. Someone noted: “…in spite of all those cards that are exchanged, the Valentines that really matter are the ones we receive and give where love is unconditional, that say, No matter what- I love you!” One of the things that occurs in a pluralistic society is the blurring of the more meaningful gifts and allowing for something lesser as a substitute. For instance, George Barna recently conducted a Spiritual Gifts Survey and found the following: “…the latest study shows that just two-thirds of Christian Americans (68%) say they have heard of spiritual gifts…” The follow-up question asked which gifts the respondents believed they had. “The most commonly claimed gifts were teaching (9%), service (8%) and faith (7%). Those were followed by encouragement (4%), healing (4%), knowledge (4%), tongues (3%), leadership (2%). The influence of the secular and pluralistic is seen in many of the respondents (21%) who deemed their Spiritual Gift to be: “a sense of humor, singing, health, life, happiness, patience, a job, a house, compromise, premonition, creativity, and clairvoyance.” This is obviously a drift toward the subjective rather than an embrace of the objective.

The Word of God is very clear in its discussion of Spiritual Gifts and what they are: the passages of Scripture that teach about gifts include - Romans 12: 6-8, 1 Corinthians 12, Ephesians 4: 7-13, 1 Peter 4: 10-11. When it comes to Matters Of The Heart, I Corinthians 13:4-8 (NLT) is a passage that could and should be personalized by each of us - - -

· Love is patient and kind

· Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude.

· Love does not demand its own way.

· Love is not irritable, and it keeps no record of when it has been wronged.

· Love is never glad about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out.

· Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.

· Love will last forever…

It has been suggested that one insert his/her name where “Love” appears and the reading would be: “Jack/Jill is patient and kind; Jack/Jill is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude, Jack/Jill does not demand his/her own way, etc.

Consider these things with me - - - How much different life and relationships would be if we mutually embraced the words of Jesus recorded in John 13:34-35, “So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples." A secular song penned by Jackie DeShannon in 1965 reminded us from a secular viewpoint: “What the world needs now is love, sweet love, It's the only thing that there's just too little of…” Let us be among those whose hearts overflow with love and compassion in our lives, families, communities, nation and world.