"For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him may not perish but may have eternal life" (John 3: 16, NRSV).

"If I speak with the tongues of mortals and of angels, but do not have love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal . . . And now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; and the greatest of these is love" (1 Corinthians 13: 1, 13, NRSV).

The first Bible verse that was taught in my pre-school Sunday school class was John 3: 16, which all my friends and I had to learn. It was a big deal when my class had to stand before the congregation, recite John 3: 16 and sing Jesus Loves Me. Perhaps, you had a similar experience. It was only when I was older that I came to understood, to appreciate, and to embrace fully its meaning in and for my life.

God loved me first, so much so that He sent His Beloved Son, Jesus Christ, to take on my sins and die on the cross. Not as a prize for what I have done or as payment for my work for the kingdom of God. Even more, God never stopped loving me during my rebellious, incorrigible teen years, my "Jonah phase" of denial, and the times when my words and actions fall short of God's expectations.  

God loves you, too, not for what you have done or accomplished. Nor can anything separate you from God's love, according to Apostle Paul. God accepts us where we are, just as we are. Yet, God loves us too much to leave us in the way we are found. For love, God is always working through the Spirit to transform our hearts and build our lives into holy lives. 

Apostle Paul's God-inspired words to the Corinthian Christians remind us that love is greater than faith and hope. Our relationship with God is based on God's enduring and everlasting love for us, our love for God, and our deepest desire to know this loving God more. We are called to imitate God's gracious, forgiving and patient love in our relationships with others. Yet . . .

It can be easy to talk ourselves out of love, for love does not make a lot of sense, is risky, and can be a bit scary. After all, love is demanding and uncontrollable. It takes a lot of our time. It forces us go places where we would not ordinarily go. It re-defines goals and re-shapes dreams. It makes us do things that we could not have imagined. 

Apostle Paul tells us what our love for others should look like by telling us what it should not be. Love "is not envious, boastful, arrogant or rude." Love "does not insist on its own way, is not irritable or resentful, and does not rejoice in wrongdoing but in truth." Nor does love keep a scorecard. Loves takes a lot, trusts and hopes. But, love is never emotionally, psychologically or physically abusive.   

On this Valentine's Day, God's Word reminds us that God is our first love. Christians have a first responsibility to love God with all their heart, mind and soul and to love their neighbor as themselves. What will you say today to God who is passionate about you? How can you thank Jesus for his sacrificial love? What can we do to show God's love?

We can begin by first giving God our hearts. Then we will never run out of love to give to our spouse, significant other, children, family, friends and neighbors. We will work hard to build and to maintain loving, healthy relationships.