According to this weeks’ Time Magazine, it is better to be ‘single’ on Valentine’s Day than in a relationship.  The logic is that for single people there is less chance of disappointment.  They don’t risk receiving a gift they don’t value, or worse still discover their partner has given no gift or card at all…

Of course this logic is flawed – it is based on fear and doubt rather than on hope, trust and love and if popular culture, films, and songs are anything to go by, most of us still desire to be loved above all else despite this latest theory.

In Romans 10:11, Paul writes ‘The scripture says, ‘No one who believes in Jesus will be put to shame.’’.  The Gospel is a gospel of Love – it is about God who loves us more than we can ever know, of Jesus who risked everything for us.

Yet sadly for too many people they act like those in the Time article, rather than letting themselves be loved by God, they would rather turn their backs on Him in fear that He might not be real, or might not love them back.  It is easier to close our eyes in the certainty of seeing nothing, than keep them open and take the risk of seeing something we don’t expect.  We are not all fortunate to have a loving partner, but we are all blessed by having the opportunity of the most loving relationship with God.

In the desert when Jesus was tempted by the devil he said ‘Man does not live on bread alone’ he was saying that God provides for all our needs, but we have to hunger for the right things to be satisfied.   We mustn’t hunger after food, or wealth, sex or relationships they can lead to disappointment.  Instead have that hunger for Christ, for a relationship with the God who loves you completely and all things will be put in perspective.  Even the disappointing Valentines chocolates will not matter, for there will be no shame or sorrow, just fullness and life with Christ.

It’s Better to Be Single on Valentine’s Day