Valentine's Day: A Parenting Moment

Valentine's Day is the ultimate holiday to celebrate the loves in your life. What better time to teach your children about the unconditional and everlasting love of our Savior?

My own children are always excited about holidays, so I try to point the focus in a way that teaches them about Jesus' grace and compassion. Each day we are gifted with the opportunity to teach our children more about Christ and His will for us. Let's especially take advantage of this on Valentine's Day.

My seven year old asked me the other day, why God loves us? This was a question I remember asking my mom as a child. I explained to her just as my mom did to me, that God loves us so much because He created us. He molded us with love.

He loves us even more than we love our own children. He wants the best for us. His love is ever-forgiving and knows no bounds.

I also explained that God's love is so amazing that we truly cannot even comprehend the vastness of it in our lives. In our humanity, we often put conditions on love. If someone wrongs us, we may withhold love and have trouble letting it go. We do not have the complete forgiveness God offers. We live with a “forgive, but don't forget” mentality. Because of our mindset, it takes time to truly understand that when God forgives and He no longer sees our wrongs or mistakes.

God loves us so much that He sacrificed Jesus so that we can be forgiven. I want my children to understand this love so for Valentine's Day we have a few projects lined up to do together.

The first project is called Hanging Hearts. First, you decorate construction paper hearts with scripture verses. Then, have each of the children hang their artwork around your house. God's Word is the best resource to learn about God's love and grace, so find ways to associate the Bible with the holiday.

Bible Verses about God's Love

For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. (John 3:16 KJV)

Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. (1 John 4:10 KJV)

The LORD hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with loving kindness have I drawn thee. (Jeremiah 31:3 KJV)

But God, who is rich in mercy, for His great love wherewith He loved us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. (Ephesians 2:4-7 KJV)

And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him. (1 John 4:16 KJV)

Our next project will be a self portrait. I will have each of my kids draw or paint how they see themselves. Then, they can write down the positive attributes they see in themselves. This will teach them that God loves them just the way they are. This will especially be helpful to my middle daughter, who is always saying that she is not tall enough or that her hair is not the right color. I want her to see herself the way that God sees her, beautiful and just the way she should be. Just let you kids know that it's not dependent on looks or talents. He created us all equally with love.

The final project is to make Valentine's Day cards thanking Jesus for His love. Inside the cards they can write down all of the wonderful gifts He has given to them. This will teach them to be grateful.

Valentine's Day is marketed as a day to celebrate romance. To me, the greatest love should be honored. While celebrating the loved ones God has placed in your life, do not forget about the ultimate love we are given each and every day by our Savior.

Do you have any special Valentine's Day plans with your children? I'd love to hear about them. Share them in the comments below.