Love it, hate it, this Thursday is a day where the subject of ‘love’ will at least cross your mind. Whether you disdain it or celebrate it, I want to talk about it, because February 14th and beyond, it’s vital that we all be able to give and receive the true love of God.

Listening to Kari Jobe’s “You are Good” one day, I got so inspired about God’s love. The song is a simple one, but it describes such profound, deep qualities about our Father God — His kindness that leads, His goodness that draws, His mercy that calls, and His favor that delights. The chorus repeats the simple refrain“You are Good”, taken from Psalm 100:5. The word in the Hebrew from which we translate the word ‘good’ in verse 5 has so much more depth than what we think of when we hear that commonly used term. The Hebrew word means the highest form of good, ‘gracious, joyful, most pleasant, sweet, loving, kind, bountiful.’

Think of those you love most in life — your absolute favorite people. They usually have at least one or two qualities that stand out to you, that make them the person you adore and love so much. Is it because they are funny? Or gentle? Are they honest? Are they selfless, clever, or inspiring?

Now think about our Father God. He’s the one that made your favorite people and all the favorable qualities about them. In fact, He’s the one in whom they originated and were created. The Bible says that every good and perfect gift comes from Him. That means God is every lovable and wonderful virtue in one. In one love. In one heart. In one being. Everything you’ve ever thought was kind, or good, or lovely, or wonderful — it is from and of Him. There is so much of it, in fact, that God has enough to spread around and give to all of human kind past, present, or future, yet there be enough for Him to be more than it all.

Within our Christian faith, we talk a lot about the day that ‘True Love’ died. Phil Wickham has a gorgeous song by that title, and that day is one of which every Christian should remember and meditate. We must also remember that the story does goes on. Past the day when ‘True Love’ (our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ) died, He rose again. He rose again and lived for us.

That wonderful day, when our victory was bought and our price was paid — that day when we became free of everything in our past — was a day when God showed us what true love really was. The day that True Love lived shows us the ultimate depth of that “good” about which we sing. It showed us all the facets of the love of God.

‘Kindness’ saves, ‘gracious’ heals, ‘bountiful’ delivers, ‘goodness’ restores, and ‘love’ brings life.  This is our Father. This is the God in whom any ‘love’ originates from His very core. You will see reflections of it in the world this week, but if it has not God in it, it is only a knock-off of the real thing. When Jesus rose, it shown throughout the ages that God is good. That His mercy is forever.

As you think about whoever your Valentine is or isn’t this week, remember that everything you like about them originates from our Father God, and He is the most wonderful of them all. He should be our ‘favorite,’ our ‘crush’, our ‘Valentine.’ Fall in love with Him today. His goodness, His kindness. Listen to songs that sing about it, and read the Psalms that proclaim it. Let them show you a new side to His love that you’ve never seen before to give you a fresh perspective of His grace.

What is your favorite thing about Him? Tell Him. What is something you like about Him? Sing it. Write to Him a Valentine, even if it is just upon the table of your heart. I guarantee you it will reach His.

Use this Valentine’s Day not how society pressures you to do so, but rather as a wonderful opportunity to show others this ‘good’ God we are talking about. In fact, Romans 2:4 says that it is this very “goodness” that leads men to repentance, which we are all to be leading them toward.

Do you remember in kindergarten, how we brought Valentines to pass out to everyone in class? It was a time to ‘share the love’ with many. One reason why I’m not opposed to this commercial holiday they named after Saint Valentine is because it is still a chance to share with many. We have categorized it into one box of romance, but ‘love’ is so much more than that, just as ‘good’ is. It is a chance to reach out to others with this virtue that comes from God Himself; this virtue that will outlast all other virtues.

Reflect the real deal this week in a society that is confusing it with the copy-cat. This Valentine’s Day, don’t get caught up in who you have to love or who you don’t. Just love the people around you deeply. Then love God even more.

“For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.” -Psalm 100:5

“Beloved, let us love one another. For love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.” -1 John 4:7, 8