Did you celebrate Valentine’s Day this past weekend? The origins of this special day of love are varied and contains several different influences.  It probably is a combination of pagan rituals in February, and several Christian martyrs named Valentine.  The most famous story is when an emperor of Rome banned marriage because single men made better soldiers.  A priest with the last name of Valentine would secretly marry young lovers against the wishes of the emperor.  Eventually he was executed on February 14, 270 A.D. for his commitment to marriage and love. 

While Valentine’s is a great day to celebrate romantic love, it also leads the modern world to equate love with being filled with emotions for others.  That is not the type of love that is being described in 2 John 1:6. Instead, love in this passage is described as a consistent commitment to God which is proven by being obedient to His commandments.  However, it is not a heavy burden that we are to carry.  It is a joy to love others through our actions.  When we say that we love others, it is a love that is proven by our actions, not just our words. 

For a Christian, the first step in loving others is to be committed to the truth of Jesus Christ.  To understand the sacrifice that Jesus endured so that others can experience a relationship with God.  Placing the well-being of others above ourselves is one way that we walk in love.  As we look at the state of the world around us, you can see that it is corrupted by selfish actions.  We see this in personal relationships, in the workplace, and in government.  How do we make a difference in a world that is so corrupted?  We make sure that we live out our love for others by being committed to living a life that pleases God. If we attempt to change the world without changing our hearts for God, we will only make the problems worse. This is what it means to walk in love!