A thought for Valentine's Day.

We all enjoy celebrating love each year year on Feb. 14, St Valentine's Day.

However, although millions of pounds, dollars and euros are spend on love gifts on St Valentine's day how much do we really know about the saint that gave this special day to declare our love.

Every year here in Wales on March 1st we celebrate our national day, St David's Day. Every child in Wales is taught from a young age the story of St David as are children in Ireland taught about St Patrick.

I've sure that many visualise Valentine as a beautiful young woman who lost or discovered true love.

However, St Valentine what not a 'she' but a 'he'. In fact, he was a holy priest in Rome, who helped young lovers marry against the will of the reigning emperor Claudius II.

When Claudius decided that single men made better soldiers than those with wives and families, he outlawed marriage for young men.

When Valentine was caught performing marriages in secret, the emperor sentenced him to be beaten with clubs, and afterwards –beheaded. The happy event took place on February 14, around the year 270AD.

Maybe not the background to Valentine's Day that we expected. However, Valentine's Day can be a wonderful opportunity to express our love to our family and friends.

However, the world, and even we Christians, sometimes have some inaccurate ideas about what true love is.

Some people think that love is about having power over others, controlling them - but God's love is about service and submission.

'You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love'  Galations 5:13.

'Husbands, love your wives and never treat them harshly.' Colossians 3:19  

'Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord'.    Epesians 6:4

'Let your gentleness be evident to all.The Lord is near.'  Phillipians 4:5

To some people, when they say they love someone, what they mean is that they want to possess the person. They are interested in what that person can do for them, but there is little or no mutuality. They don't care what the other person is feeling or thinking. That isn't love; it's using someone. Love is NOT selfish:

It (love) is not rude, it is not self-seeking,it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.  1 Corinthians 13:5

Some of us have been hurt -- whether by parents, a spouse, siblings, a boyfriend...and we equate love with pain. However, God's love, the only true love, is kind, and any pain that is inflicted such as the sometimes-necessary "tough love," is unintentional.

'Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.'    
                                                                       
             1 Corinthians 13:4

God's kind of love is kind, patient, gracious, unselfish. It is true that mutual, healthy relationships are not just about pleasing someone, and there needs to be mutual repsect, and give-and-take.

However, we should get joy from doing things for those we love, from showing our love. When we love someone with God's kind of love, we try to think of what we can do for them.

John 15:13 (NIV) Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.

True love does not end because someone makes a mistake. True love continues and grows stronger.

'Love patiently accepts all things. It always trusts, always hopes, and always remains strong.'  1 Corinthians  13:7

I believe the key to loving people with true love, is to love Christ and then to ask for His help to see people through His eyes. That prayer can revolutionize a life.