Valentine’s Day is next Friday. While February 14 is celebrated as a day to express love, affection, kindness, and appreciation, do you know the origins of Valentine’s Day?
A Brief History of Valentine’s Day
Valentine’s Day traces back to ancient Rome. It is rooted in the pagan festival Lupercalia and later the story of Saint Valentine by the Roman Catholic Church to Christianize the pagan festival. Lupercalia is celebrated in mid-February, as a fertility festival that honored Faunus, the Roman god of agriculture and February 14 marked the beginning of birds' mating season in Europe.
In any fertility festival, there needs to be a layer of romance, right? As the story is told, a third-century Roman priest, named Valentine, defied Emperor Claudius II’s ban on marriages for young soldiers and secretly performed marriages for young lovers. For this act of rebellion, he was martyred on February 14th.
In the Middle Ages, February 14 gained popularity as a day for exchanging love notes, thanks in part to the writings of poets like Geoffrey Chaucer and became known as Valentine’s Day. By the 18th century, it transformed into a day to give cards, chocolates, and flowers.
The Greatest Gift
While Valentine’s Day focuses on material gifts as tokens of love and affection, the greatest gift we can give ourselves and others is love. Love transforms not only our relationships but also our overall well-being. Love is initiated in our thoughts and thinking. Proverbs 4:23 reminds us to "guard your heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.” In other words, everything you do flows from the heart, and the heart is symbolic of our minds and therefore our thoughts and thinking patterns. There is only one perfect example of love for us to emulate in order for us to become vessels of love to those around us.
The Bible tells us in John 3:16, "For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life." This divine act of love is the foundation of our hope and joy. Why would God humble Himself to become a human to save a fallen race? There is no other answer than pure and perfect love. He could not bear the thought of going throughout eternity without you and me. So, without violating His own law of free will, He came to take our place as sinners, to exchange our sinfulness with His righteousness, and to give every human being a choice to choose God’s way or the way of satan and the world. “For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world, through Him, might be saved” (John 3:17).
Jesus: Our Fullness and Sufficiency
The story of Jesus—God becoming human to lead us back to the Father—is the ultimate love story. Born as a baby, He lived among us, teaching, healing, and ultimately sacrificing Himself to rescue us from sin and the devil’s deception. Jesus’ love is unconditional, and through Him, we find fullness and sufficiency. It is only as we take what Jesus has to offer us, that we have something of value to give to others. By taking from any other source, we are taking from broken cisterns.
Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life: no one comes to the Father except through Me" (John 14:6). With God as our Fullness and Sufficiency, His love not only redeems but also empowers us to love others selflessly, just like He does.
1 Corinthians 13:13 reminds us, “Now abides faith, hope, and love; but the greatest of these is love."
The Gift of Proper Thoughts and Thinking
Accepting and taking love from God, helps align our thoughts and thinking patterns, not just giving tokens of our love but also helping us focus on the positive, avoiding negative thoughts of others and ourselves. We can accept Philippians 2:5 as our motto for every day, not just “Valentine’s Day”, “Let this mind be in you, which as in Christ Jesus.”
Benefits of Positive Thinking and Avoiding Negativity
By having the mind of Christ, we will turn from negativity, and God will train our brains to think in the positive (2 Corinthians 10:5). And what are some of the benefits of doing such?
Improved Mental Health: Positive thinking has been shown to reduce stress, enhance resilience, and improve overall mental well-being. Instead of focusing on what you lack or what might go wrong, redirect your thoughts to what you’re grateful for and the things that bring you joy. Focus on the positive characteristics of individuals.
Strengthens Relationships: A positive mindset helps us approach relationships with kindness, empathy, and understanding. When we focus on the good in others, our connections grow deeper and more meaningful.
Boosts Self-Love: We can only love others as we accept the love of God into our being and love ourselves as God loves us. Then we have love to share with others and can develop healthy relationships.
Spreads Joy: Positivity is contagious. When you love others, you inspire those around you to do the same, creating ripples of happiness.
Simple Ways to Cultivate Love
See God as your Fullness and Sufficiency, to focus your thoughts and reduce stress.
Start your day with a gratitude journal, listing three to five things you’re thankful for.
Engage in activities that bring you joy.
Spend time in nature to learn more about the God of nature.
Share kind words with all you come in connect; a heartfelt compliment or a simple “I appreciate you” can make someone’s day.
Avoid negative, critical thoughts and influences.
In 2025, would you like to commit to embracing positivity? Are you ready to enrich your own life by spreading warmth and kindness to those around you? By making it a priority to accept Christ as your Source from which you will obtain love to nurture your body, mind, and spirit, you will be better equipped to align your thoughts and thinking and be a catalyst to transform the world around you. Proper thoughts and thinking are another powerful gift that will help us embrace health and conquer disease, laying the foundation for a healthier YOU in 2025!
Small changes add up to significant results over time. Remember to start small and gradually increase your goal. Always remember to focus on Progression Over Perfection! With Christ all things are possible! (Philippians 4:13).
Would you like some help and accountability to achieve your 2025 health goals?
Dana can help you be successful through 2025 with her health-embracing, disease-conquering Start a New YOU!® Online Program. Click the link below to schedule a FREE 30-minute INTERVIEW to see if this is the right program for you to make 2025 your year to Start a New YOU!® and successfully meet all your realistic health goals!
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Blue Skies,
Dana
References:
History.com Editors. “Valentine’s Day.” History, A&E Television Networks, https://www.history.com/topics/valentines-day/history-of-valentines-day.
Mayo Clinic Staff. “Positive Thinking: Stop Negative Self-Talk to Reduce Stress.” Mayo Clinic, https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/stress-management/in-depth/positive-thinking/art-20043950.
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