“I just love the way the moon glitters off the surface of the water,” she said as they strolled hand-in-hand on the riverwalk. 

“Do you know that the moon doesn’t produce its own light?” he said. “It’s the light of the sun reflecting off the surface of the moon.”

She loved his fun facts—the way he knew a little something about everything. He loved her knack for finding beauty in the mundane. It was only their third date, but somehow they felt like kindred souls. Today is Valentine's Day, and for the first time in a long time, the two did not spend the day alone. 

This cheesy Valentine’s Day story could be a scene in almost any romantic movie. Yet somehow, stories of finding love never seem to get old. There’s something within us that craves romance. It’s no wonder that Americans spent about 27.5 billion dollars on Valentine’s Day in 2025, with the average person spending about $188¹. We plan the perfect date, pick out beautiful flowers, and find the most thoughtful gifts—all to communicate just how much we love our valentine. 

This love—and the ability to communicate such love—is a gift. And Scripture tells us that “every good and perfect gift is from above” (James 1:17). Therefore, romantic love is a gift from God. But what is the purpose of romantic love? Why did God allow sinful humans to experience such a beautiful connection with another human? And is enjoying romantic love idolatrous? 

As with all good and beautiful things on earth, romantic love can prompt us to admire the even greater, even better love of our Heavenly Father. Let’s dive into the theology behind love, and how celebrating our loved ones can lead us to celebrating God’s love. 

Common Grace and Romantic Love

As you may have noticed by the plethora of Valentine’s Day items in your local store, romantic love is not something only Christians experience. Everyone, God-honoring or not, can experience the warmth of connection with another human. Theologians describe this as common grace. Common grace is grace that is given to all people, regardless of  their belief in God. This grace looks like life on earth, good food, time spent in His creation, and yes, romantic love. Wayne Grudem describes common grace as “the grace of God by which He gives people innumerable blessings that are not a part of salvation.” Common grace teaches us that God is good and merciful. It is no wonder that David rejoiced, “The LORD is good to everyone; his compassion rests on all he has made” (Psalm 145:9). The chocolates we enjoy, the embraces we share, the flowers we receive, are all examples of God’s goodness to humans who deserve no such gifts. 

Indeed, all humanity has fallen short of God’s glory (Romans 3:23)—we deserve wrath, not romance. Yet, in His mercy, He bestows His goodness upon us. Common grace is not meant to be used and abused; rather, it is meant to lead us to worship the God who gave us love to enjoy. Think back to the  conversation at the beginning of this blog—the glimmers of light upon the water were evidence of a greater Light shining down upon the world. So too, the glimmers of love we feel as humans—common grace—are evidence of the God of love, from whom all love originates. John, in his first letter, says, “Dear friends, let us love one another, because love is from God” (1 John 4:7). The romantic love we celebrate on Valentine's Day is just a taste of the all-satisfying, all-sufficient, neverending love of God. 

Therefore, when we find ourselves reveling in the love of another—we can remember that our God loves us even more. When we find ourselves giddy over a Valentine's Day gift, we can remember the gift of God’s love poured out for us in Jesus (1 John 4:9). When we are taken aback by the beauty of a bouquet, we can rejoice in gratitude that our God has given us beauty to enjoy in the first place. Common grace leads us to the God of grace. Earthly love leads us to the God of love.

So too, if you feel lonely this Valentines Day, you can remember that God’s love for you is far greater and far sweeter than the love

We Were Made for Love

Our obsession with Valentine’s Day is not a surprise to God—God is the Inventor of romantic love. All the way back in the Creation narrative, God saw Adam and said, ““It is not good for the man to be alone” (Genesis 2:18). So He created Eve and commanded the couple to become one. Thus, the God of love is the Author of romantic love. However, romantic love was never meant to be the ultimate love. Rather, the experience of romantic love is meant to whet our appetites for the greater love of God. 

John continues describing love in 1 John 4:8–12, saying: 

The one who does not love does not know God, because God is love. God’s love was revealed among us in this way: God sent his one and only Son into the world so that we might live through him. Love consists in this: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, if God loved us in this way, we also must love one another. No one has ever seen God. If we love one another, God remains in us and his love is made complete in us. 

The love we show one another was always meant to point back to the love we’ve received through Christ from God. When we realize the purpose of romantic love, we can gladly celebrate both each other and our Heavenly Father, who so graciously gave us the opportunity to experience such love. We can go on dates, buy gifts, and write thoughtful notes—we can outdo one another in showing honor on Valentine’s Day (Romans 12:10, ESV)—as long as we are rightly ordering the affections of our soul. 

We are made for God’s love—we are made to be rooted and established in God’s love and to grow evermore in the knowledge of how long and wide, high and deep this love for us really spans (Ephesians 4: 16–19). And perhaps the love we extend one another on the heralded Day of Love can help us to discover the indescribable devotion of our God toward us.

Remember, the moon, which illuminates the night sky, only shines because it reflects the sun’s light. So too, the love we experience on Valentine’s Day is but a reflection of love’s ultimate Source.

Notes:

1. NRF Survey: Valentine’s Spending Reaches Record $27.5 Billion

2. Wayne Grudem, Systematic Theology, 803.
   

Author Bio:

Katie Davidson is a Staff Writer at The Daily Grace Co. She lives in Surf City, North Carolina with her husband and three kids. She is passionate about helping women see God’s faithfulness woven through the whole story of Scripture—and how that same faithfulness meets them personally in their everyday lives. When she’s not writing, you’ll likely find her making memories with her little beach babies, thrift shopping, or touring local coffee shops.

Additional Resources for Reflecting on God’s Love:

His Love Endures Forever		Esther Bible Study		Ruth Bible Study		How Valentine's Day Points to Our Need for Jesus
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