I saw a meaningful Valentine's message on a card this week that caught my attention. It said,
Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength:
loving someone deeply gives you courage.
-Lao Tzu
Maybe it is because I am reminded on Valentine's Day about being deeply loved and about loving deeply that this message strikes a cord. I do believe being loved deeply by someone does give me STRENGTH to keep going, to keep trying, to keep believing, to keep saying "this is who I am" to the world. I also believe that my depth of love for others gives me COURAGE to try to right the wrongs, to speak for those who have no voice, to defend and stand up for what is good. Why else would I continue to do these things?
It is very interesting to note that according to God's Word COURAGE is the virtue that enables me to practice the rest of the virtues consistently and it is the foundation to a life of loving deeply. In the New Living Translation, 2 Peter 1:5-7 says that my faith, based on my choices to apply the promises of the previous verses, will produce a life of moral excellence (courage). A life of moral exellence leads to knowing God better. Knowing God leads to self-control. Self-control leads to patient endurance and patient endurance leads to godliness. Godliness leads to LOVE for other Christians, and finally you will grow to have geniune LOVE for everyone.
This is truly a Valentine message to shout about! STRENGTH and COURAGE, mixed up together and rooted in a life of faith, create in us the ability to become beautiful living and loving Valentines to everyone around us! Happy Valentine's Day!
