I never had a boyfriend on Valentine’s Day. For 28 consecutive years, February 14th came and went without a boyfriend.

Last year, I had a finance and this year I have a husband. But I managed to completely skip the whole Valentine’s Day with your boyfriend experience.

Last summer, Shauna Niequist wrote a blog I could only dream of having written.

You are significant with or without a significant other.

And that’s what I want to preach from the roof top to all my single ladies out there.

Don’t buy into the world’s lie that Valentine’s Day is just just a cruel way to shine the spotlight on those who aren’t in a romantic relationship. Resist the urge to make plans with a bottle of wine to celebrate “Singles Awareness Day”.

Why? Because you aren’t lacking.

Somehow Valentine’s Day has become a day about whether you “have” or “have not”.

If you have a significant other, then it’s your day to celebrate.  If you “have not”… well then this day is for you to be reminded of that. Our culture tells you that you are lacking.

But you aren’t lacking anything.

I’m not trying to dismiss the desire to be in a romantic relationship. We are wired for human connection. We possess a God-given craving for love. But your worth, your value, your wholeness has nothing to do with whether or not you have a boyfriend.

You, are unique, exquisitely made, chosen and dearly loved by the Creator of the Universe, who also gave you a one-of-a-kind thumbprint and purpose in this life.

None of that changes based on whether or not you have a romantic relationship to share that with.

For some reason, we have given power to others to determine our worth.  Or maybe we actually do know our worth, but we just want someone else to recognize it too– in a way that makes him send flowers, plan fun dates, and eventually buy a very expensive ring to tell the world how wonderful you truly are.

While all of those things are lovely, no one else adds to your worth or subtracts from you worth.  If I had let my husband be a determining factor of my worth, he would be carrying a weight way to heavy for him to bear.  The pressure that would put on our marriage on a daily basis is unimaginable.  A successful relationship is two whole people coming together, not looking for the other to determine or add to their worth.

You are whole and valuable because your Creator decided you are. End of story. In Jesus, you lack nothing.

So forget “Singles Awareness Day”.  Resist the lie that our culture screams.  It’s not about “have” or “have not”, it’s about knowing who you are, who God has made you to be, and believing that you are fully valued. Period.