Richard Roberts
Happy Valentine’s Day! This is a special day of love, and really, the greatest act of love is that of giving. John 3:16 says, God so LOVED the world, that he GAVE his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. God loved, so He gave.
It reminds me of a story I once heard about Mary Martin, the great actress of stage and screen. She was performing in the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical South Pacific on Broadway one might, when she received a note from Oscar Hammerstein himself. The note read:
A bell is not a bell till you ring it.
A song is not a song till you sing it.
Love in your heart is not put there to stay.
Love is not love till you give it away.
Miss Martin read the note, tucked it into her pocket, and went out on stage and gave the performance of her life. After the show, people rushed to her dressing room. “We’ve seen you perform this role many times,” they said, “but tonight you were brilliant. What was different?” Miss Martin read them the note from Oscar Hammerstein, then replied, “The difference was, tonight I gave my love away.”
That’s really what John 3:16 is all about. God gave His love away when He gave His Son to pay the price for our sin and death. And that love changed the world. There may be someone near you who needs love. This Valentine’s Day show them your love, and don’t be surprised if it comes back to you. Galatians 6:7 NKJV says, Whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. Today, and every other day, let us follow God’s example and give away the love that’s in our hearts. His love touches and changes lives.