As the ruler, it is above every virtue. It is not enough just to be kind and compassionate it must be done with love. It is not enough to be humble, gentle and patient it must be done with love. Why? According to the key verses it is love that binds the virtues of God together. What good would it be to be compassionate but unkind? To be gentle but proud? To be humble but have no patience? We cannot practice salad bar Christianity, picking what virtues we like and discarding those we may not embrace so easily. If we do, we run the risk of appearing hypocritical. It speaks to what the motivation is for our virtue. Without love as the motivating factor, then nothing holds the virtue together. How many times have we seen people who are kind but expect something in return? People who are compassionate but completely lacking in humility about it? Love is the glue that holds the virtues together in perfect unity. That is the design of God.
Isn't that what we seek in our relationships? Perfect unity. But as humans our conceptualization of love is very limited. We see it as something we "fall into" like a bear trap. Or we see it as something that takes control of us. We love in an incomplete sense. We love with restrictions and conditions. Paul explains however, what love is supposed to be:
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, 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. 1Corinthians 13: 4-7
Love has to be more than the roses and candy. The outward expression of emotion must be coupled with the inward decision to clothe ourselves with the virtues of God, binding them all together with love. Flowers will wither but the love of God will never fade. As we express our love this Valentine's Day, let us also remember that God loved us first. Let us remember that God is love. He has given us His virtues and asked that we clothe ourselves in them.
And if this Valentine's Day finds you alone; remember you are never truly alone. God loves us so much He will never leave us and sticks closer than a brother.
For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8: 38-39
That is a promise for all of us. When the love of man fails, God is still there. His virtues are from everlasting to everlasting and there is nothing in all creation that will separate us from His love. He healed us from our blindness just as Saint Valentine did for the jailer's daughter. Today He is sending you this note and addressing it to His beloved. Clothe yourself in His virtues today and bind them together with the perfect love of God, your Valentine.
