Look out, guys, it’s February! That’s right, I’m talking to all you men out there who believe that Valentine’s Day is just a conspiracy cooked up by the greeting card, flower, and jewelry people to take all your money. It’s not enough that there’s Christmas, a birthday, and an anniversary every year, they’ve added another day you’ve got to buy her a present.

Take heart, because it’s the thought that counts. That means you don’t have to break the bank for every occasion, just be thoughtful and show her she’s special in one way or another. But be careful, because it’s the thought that counts. If your thought is about how you can get by really cheap she’s going to see through that.

But you shouldn’t look at it like it’s a chore. You should see it as another opportunity to remind yourself of what’s really important and focus your attention on that lady you used to think about all day long.

It’s the same with God. He set up three major festivals for the Israelites to worship Him (Passover, Pentecost, and Tabernacles). These were to be times of remembering what God had done in their lives, thanking God for His blessings, and recommitting themselves to His service. And if that wasn’t enough, other holidays were added like Purim and Hannakuh. But these weren’t just excuses to get more Israelites in church, they were expressions of love and worship to their wonderful God. Like the Israelites, we should welcome special days as opportunities to focus our attention on our great God.

And just like Valentine’s gifts, it’s the thought that counts. God isn’t looking for us to come with the most elaborate worship, just worship that is from the heart. And if we just go through the motions to get by, He knows that, too. Jesus said, "true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks." (John 4:23)