What Kindergarten Taught me about Valentines’ Day
By: Stacey Tuttle
They say that everything you need to know you learned in Kindergarten. As a single facing another Valentine’s day alone, I tend to feel that this is a holiday that doesn’t apply to me. However, my friend was talking this week about her kindergartener’s upcoming Valentine’s Day party and it changed my perspective. In Kindergarten, you bring Valentines and candy to your whole class. It isn’t about having someone romantic in your life. In Kindergarten it’s just about spreading a little love to everyone you know. The Bible says in Matthew 13:44 that, “they will know we are Christians by our love.” So, in light of that, maybe what I learned in Kindergarten about Valentine’s Day really is all I needed to know!
So, that brings me to a brief look at what it is to spread a little love to everyone I know, such that others will know I’m a Christian by the love I give. There are different kinds of love, and certainly, we don’t need to spread more of the romantic love to everyone we know. So, what is the kind of love that God wants us to be spreading? While the Bible is full of advice on this topic, I think just a couple short verses will be enough to steer us straight and get us started.
Phil 2:3-4, “Do nothing out of selfishness or vain conceit, but in humility, consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.” I must admit, it’s a struggle to really grasp considering others better than myself. I mean, it may be easy with some people, but there are others … people I don’t like or maybe don’t respect their lifestyle, or whatever the case may be…and those people I struggle to truly consider better than myself. We have a natural instinct for self-preservation it seems. And the command to look to the interests of others often feels as if it flies directly in the face of that natural instinct. But if people saw us truly living out this verse, wouldn’t they have to notice something different about us? Wouldn’t they be likely to see that it was Christ in us that enabled us to love?
John 15:13, “Greater love hath no man than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.” Pretty hard to do if you don’t begin to consider others better than yourself and look to their interests and not just your own. This is revolutionary love. Whether a person lays their life down for a specific person or a group of people, it’s the stuff of heroes. It’s what Jesus did for us, and as we do it for others people cannot help but see Him in us. Thus, they know we are Christians by our love.
And while I am on the topic of Jesus laying his life down for us, let me mention here that Jesus was the ultimate Valentine. He loved more purely and truly than any ever has. He pursued a romance with mankind so desperately that He gave his life for it. And he continues his pursuit of your heart today. So, whether you have a someone to spend your Valentine ’s Day with or whether you are single like me, let me encourage you not to forget that Jesus is the ultimate romancer of your heart. He longs to be your valentine, to shower you with His love. And when you know you are loved by Him, overflowing with the love He lavishes on you, you will find that letting it spill over to those around you will be so much easier.
May Valentine’s Day forever be a reminder of the lover of your soul who gave His life to win your love. And may you remember the lessons of Kindergarten – that Valentine’s Day is about showing love to all of those around you.