Whitney Houston lied.
Do the words, ‘I found the greatest love of all inside of me…’ sound familiar to you? I remember singing that song, Greatest Love of All, with my whole chest back in Year 6. We were always learning one song or the other for some program. It was a lot between Michael Jackson, R Kelly or Whitney Houston, and this time the die landed on Ms. Houston. Back then, I truly believed what she said. After all, the mantra of self independence is being able to rely on yourself. But, I’m a lover of Jesus – of course I am going to use Valentine’s to tell you about the real greatest love of all.
Valentine’s Day
I would admit; I have never understood the exaggeration about Valentine’s Day. I don’t want to be a party pooper for those, who genuinely enjoy Valentine’s day, but I don’t get the excessive consumerism that defines the day. That is all that really fuels holidays and special days, if you think about it. Maybe I am not married and so I don’t get the fuss about it. Still koraa, I am pretty sure when I do get married, I wouldn’t create a fanfare out of it. There has been an exception….
To date, the most memorable Valentine’s day I have experienced was in 2019 when I was a single pringle and finding my feet in my new relationship with Jesus. Though I went to church, because not going wasn’t an option, the Holy Spirit had not arrested me – or rather I had not yielded to His call. I was a freshman at Ashesi, and if I recall, that day I didn’t have an 8:00 AM class so I was the only one in the room. I was listening to Hilsong’s album, There is More, the one that Valentine features in, and I was just sobbing uncontrollably. Even as I am writing this, my eyes are swelling up with tears, because I am still so overwhelmed by God’s love. Why me? Why do you love so much even after my denial, defiance and rejection? When you begin to appreciate and acknowledge the love of God, nothing else seems as significant. The words, ‘For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son that whosoever believes in Him will not perish but have everlasting’, will become ‘For God so loved me, that He gave His only son for me that I may not perish but have everlasting life’. You will know that even if you were the only human being on Earth, He would have still died for you because the thought of not having you as His own is unimaginable.
Lovers at Heart
I have noticed that the purest love songs, the ones that are devoid of lust and instant gratification can easily be used to express the love between God and man. I heard this in a podcast – Easy Like Sunday Morning – and I’ve never thought otherwise. Think I’m lying – look at the Songs of Solomon or Shania Twain’s, Forever and Always. Our desire and fascination with love, and relationships and all the lovey dovey stuff, is simply an extension of who we are at our core: objects of God’s expressive love.
The relationship that believers are privileged to enjoy is categorized not only as a King-servant relationship, but also also a bridegroom-bride relationship. That relationship started from a relentless pursuit; a Holy jealousy that beckoned you and I to an eternal love that will transcend even death. What can be more pure? What can be more beautiful? What can be more true? In the words of Hillsong’s song Valentine, He “woo[ed] us back from death and woe, A valentine to a faithless world. Every wayward heart, You pursue us all”. Had it not been by God’s love, you wouldn’t have the confidence and assurance, that even if the whole world rejected you, there will still be a God who won’t let you go.
The Greatest Love of All
I’ve tasted God’s love and seen that it is the sweetest and greatest. The kind of love He has professed over humanity continues to humble and baffle me, all at the same time. Which other god, in any other religion has dared to make claims of a God who calls His people His own. The act of redemption for us, through His self sacrifice, is the greatest love story ever told. The sacrificial act of God through His son Jesus is a reminder of a Maker who places worth and value on His creation. He didn’t leave us to rot in our desolation and wickedness. Rather He presented a timeless solution which will never cease to end – Himself. Any other form of sacrifice would have withered away, but using Himself as the sacrifice promised an eternal assurance of reconciliation.
If Valentine’s Day has transfigured into a day that is meant to celebrate love, and as the sucker as I am for Jesus, I will tell you that the greatest love you will ever know is the One who died to prove it. Let the truth remain on this Valentine’s Day that you are God’s and He is Yours. And even if you are not yet, There is More room for one more.
Song recommendation for today: Hillsong Worship – Valentine
P..S If you know the song where the blog post title is from, you’re pretty cool…according to me