Today is ½ price chocolate day! That’s right, it’s February 15th, the day following the highly commercialized extravaganza known as Valentine’s Day where we tell that special someone in our lives, “I love you” complete with overpriced cards, candy and flowers.

I’m not a big fan of Valentine’s Day. But I do love half-off chocolate! And it does give us an opportunity to talk about love. And what better way to do that than by turning to the love chapter – 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 (CEB):

Love is patient, love is kind, it isn’t jealous, it doesn’t brag, it isn’t arrogant, it isn’t rude, it doesn’t seek its own advantage, it isn’t irritable, it doesn’t keep a record of complaints, it isn’t happy with injustice, but it is happy with the truth. Love puts up with all things, trusts in all things, hopes for all things, endures all things.

I was once challenged to make 1 Corinthians 13 personal by putting my name in place of the word love. So, for me, it would read, “Ryan is patient, Ryan is kind, Ryan isn’t jealous, Ryan doesn’t brag…” and so on.

Go ahead, try it.

Convicting, isn’t it?

That’s why I’m not a big fan of Valentine’s Day. There’s nothing wrong with buying cards, candy and flowers to celebrate love. But are we living that love every day? Or does our record of complaints last longer than the chocolate that swiftly disappears and the flowers that quickly fade?

Today is ½ price chocolate day. So, go buy yourself a chocolate heart and remember that Valentines’ Day isn’t just one day of the year but every day.