Just Love People
Happy Valentines Day! Do you guys celebrate Valentines Day with gifts? Chocolate? Cards? Flowers? Fancy dinner dates? I've never been too big on Valentines Day, but I know my social media feeds are full to the brim with heart-shaped everything and lots and lots of pink.
But sometimes I need a reminder that cutesy little valentines and chocolate aren't what Valentines Day, let alone love, is really about. If our love is limited to buying and exchanging gifts, we're missing out.
I've been thinking about love more lately, mostly because I chose beloved for my word for 2017. Valentines Day serves to remind me in just one more way that loving the people around me is paramount.
Have a posture that is humble and not above or beyond certain tasks. Actions speak so much louder than words. In the words of Maya Angelou, “I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” What if we worried less about saying the right thing or trying to demonstrate our theological knowledge and just tried to simply love people—with no agenda. That is hard to argue with. There are endless opportunities to love people well and serve them, it just takes humility and the courage to be obedient.
- Courtney Bareman
When I don't know what to do, when I feel lost and purposeless, I come back to what I know is true: people matter more.
People matter more than things.
People matter more than accomplishments.
People matter more than titles.
People matter more than money.
People matter more than the American Dream.
And our people need us to just love them. They don't need us to solve all their problems, say the "right" thing, or whisk them away to a world where everything is just peachy. They just need to know they're not alone, they're cared about, and that at the end of the day, they're loved just as they are.
What if we remembered that people matter more every day of our lives? What would it look like if we loved people because we believe they are all worth it? What if we loved them with no agenda, loved them just because they are people and they are lovable?
Maybe it looks like sending a friend a hand-written note or thoughtful message, calling your grandparents, doing someone a favor, lending a hand to a friend in need, encouraging a neighbor or coworker, providing meals for someone going through a hard time, or sending someone unexpected flowers (after all, 'tis the season!).
Today, as we celebrate Valentine's Day, I encourage you to remember that no matter what you do or don't do to celebrate, the thing that matters most is how you love people. Roses or no roses; chocolate or no chocolate.
Have a great Valentines Day!
Further reading:
You Can Talk About Your Faith Without Being Annoying by Courtney Bareman, Relevant Magazine
Image source: https://unsplash.com/collections/806/valentines-day?photo=jjj1rHyYyG0