Should We Celebrate Valentine’s Day?

Why not? Yes, Valentine’s Day has become quite a commercial holiday, but does that make it bad? I constantly hear Christians and married couples say they refuse to celebrate Valentine’s Day because it is about commercialism… Besides you can celebrate the other 364 days a year right?

 My question to that person is how often do you actually celebrate your marriage? Do you feel you spend an adequate amount of time honoring, praising and celebrating your marriage? Does your spouse feel like there has been an adequate amount of time this year spent expressing your love for one another? Has your year been jam-packed with beautiful memories of times spent prioritizing your marriage? Can you answer yes and often to these questions? If so, I congratulate you for what sounds like a fabulous, romantic year prioritizing your spouse. The reality is that most people get caught up in the business of life and they have intentions of buying more gifts, going on more dates, and having more sex but they forget to prioritize it.

 If you are a Valentine’s Scrooge, take an assessment of your heart and your marriage. If you still aren’t convinced Valentine’s is an okay way to spend your money and partake in the festivities, go through the Philippians 4:8 checklist. Would your Valentine’s intentions be noble, pure, lovely, admirable, etc? Is the commercialism leading you to publicly celebrate one of God’s most beautiful institutions? I would say, yes. This week is National Marriage Week (Feb 7-14) for good reason. The best earthly love should be found in marriage—two imperfect adults acting in grace and forgiveness and coming together through Christ’s redeeming work. THAT is something to celebrate!