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Oh February — the month of love.
There’s something quietly magical about this month, even if we don’t always want to admit it. February naturally turns our hearts toward love — toward giving, sharing, and expressing care for others.
Because Valentine’s Day sits at the center of the month, we often focus outward. We give cards, candy, and kind gestures to the people we love. When I’m around my grandchildren, I always make sure they get Valentine’s candy — it’s one of the small ways Nana reminds them how deeply they are loved.
And while there’s absolutely nothing wrong with loving others well, I want to gently challenge us this February to expand our focus just a bit further.
Not just outward — but inward and upward, too.
Because before we can truly love others well, we must first be rooted in love.
Love is a broad word, but to understand it fully, we have to begin with two foundations:
loving ourselves and understanding the love of God.
Without both, loving others becomes difficult — especially when love requires grace in spite of.
In spite of hurtful words.
In spite of misunderstanding.
In spite of wrongs done to us.
Loving well in those moments is only possible when our love is anchored in something deeper than emotion — when it flows from God’s love and forgiveness.
Scripture gives us the clearest picture of this in 1 John 4:9–10, where we’re reminded that God showed His love by sending His Son into the world so that we might live through Him. This wasn’t conditional love. It wasn’t earned. It was given freely.
That was our first example of true love.
When we build a relationship with God — upward — we stay connected to the source of love itself. God’s love is steadfast, eternal, and unchanging. There is nothing we can do that would cause Him to love us less.
Unlike human love, which can sometimes be influenced by appearances, performance, or behavior, God’s love is fully unconditional. Even with the people closest to us, we sometimes struggle to love that way — but God never does.
Paul speaks to this beautifully in Ephesians 3:17–19, praying that believers would fully grasp the depth, width, and height of God’s love. He understood that God’s love isn’t something that can simply be explained — it must be experienced.
That’s why Paul uses the word rooted.
Think about trees. Their strength doesn’t come from what we see above the ground — it comes from how deeply their roots are anchored below. Some trees develop such deep roots that they can’t easily be uprooted, even in the strongest storms.
That is the kind of rootedness God desires for us — deeply anchored in His love through Christ.
And here’s something important to remember: God’s love is not something we earn.
We are born into it.
God knows us by name as we are being formed. His love is the starting place — not the reward for good behavior. Many of us were never taught this, so we grow up trying to prove ourselves worthy of love instead of receiving it freely.
But God’s love has always been steadfast and immovable.
When we don’t live from that truth, we often find ourselves loving, serving, and showing up for others from a place of depletion. We pour out without being filled. But when we allow ourselves to experience the fullness of God’s love, something changes.
We become nourished.
We become anchored.
We become secure.
I remember seasons in my life when everything seemed to be going well — and then suddenly things felt off track. I would ask God, “What am I doing wrong?” It wasn’t until I began walking closely with Him daily that I understood something important: we are not promised perfect days.
Life will have rainy days and sunny days. But when we are rooted in God’s love, even the difficult days don’t shake our peace. We learn to rest, trusting that God is still present, still loving us, and still in control.
And honestly — that’s all I need.
So as we move through February, I invite you to practice love in a few intentional ways:
- Study God’s love. Search Scripture and notice how often God speaks of His love for His people. You may be surprised by what you discover.
- Embrace inward and upward love. Self-love grows best when it’s grounded in God’s love.
- Continue loving outwardly. Look for one small way each day to reflect God’s love to family, friends, or neighbors.
I believe you’ll find that when you begin February rooted in love, you’ll carry enough of it to sustain you through the rest of the year.
🌿 Reflection
Do I live like I am deeply loved by God?
🙏 Prayer
Lord, thank You for the ultimate expression of love through Your Son. Help us not to take that gift lightly. Teach us to become deeply rooted in Your Word and Your love. Draw us closer to You this month so that our lives overflow with the love we receive from You.
Amen.
Worship Song: I had not heard this in a while and the tears flowed. It was beautiful. Love Theory by Kirk Franklin
✍🏽 Scripture Writing
Write slowly and prayerfully:
- 1 John 4:9–10
- Ephesians 3:17
After writing, reflect:
- Where do I need to be more deeply rooted in God’s love?