Love Languages

A newer trend in today’s culture is this idea of “love language.” From the original website of The Five Love Languages to a surplus of articles, blogs, and podcasts on the subject, it is clear that people desire to relate with the people around them better. Understanding love languages, it is also a tangible way to identify how and why people are affected by a given situation. Now, the idea of a love language is still relatively new, so let us break them down a bit. The list is given by the creators of The Five Love Languages, and the definitions are by yours truly.

1) Acts of Service: someone else washing the dishes because I hate washing the dishes. 2) Physical Touch: hugging, holding hands (fill in the blank in a Christ-honoring way. m’kay? kay!) 3) Words of Affirmation: oh my word! I! LOVE! Your outfit! Chil’ you better wear that!!! Two snaps and all the handclaps 4)Gifts: buying something with intentionality, or handcrafting something. (if it’s for me here’s a cheatsheet: fluffy socks, coffee/travel mug or something with a turtle on it. you’re welcome) 5) Quality Time: hey! Let’s hang out, maybe go to that art show you were looking into?

So those are the five languages. Amazingly, everyone is a combination of those five things, and yet we are each so complex.

We wander through socializing, trying to understand and be understood. Why? We desire to know and be known.

With God, we can be assured that we are indeed known(Psa 139:1-3). With Christ, we can be assured that we do, in fact, know(John 14:9)!

It is great to have a comprehensive tool like the Five Love Languages. Knowing that it is a real and vital part of how God designed us to communicate is beautiful. Knowing that God relates and responds to each of these love languages is a declaration to the intimacy He desires to have with us.

Scriptures to consider:

•2 Corinthians 1:3 • John 3:16 •John 1:1