Thursday, May 15, 2025
"Love God with all your heart, with all your mind, with all your soul, and with all your strength." When we put God first in our lives, submit to Him in full surrender, loving others become second nature. When we seek God with all our hearts and His righteousness, "all these things shall be added unto you. "And my God shall supply all our needs, according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus."
There is a difference between yielding and complete surrender. When you yield, you come up with an amicable settlement for a win-win situation. To surrender is to hand over the power, authority and mantle over to the One who holds the Universe in the palm of His hands.
"The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever."
5 Love Languages by Dr. Gary Chapman
Love is the most important word because Jesus said in Jon 13:34-35 "A new commandment I give to you. Love one another as I have loved you. By this, they will know that you are my disciples, by the way you love each other."
Love is the most confusing word because we use the word love in a thousand ways. Here, we will talk about three ways we use the word love:
First, "Falling in love." (Solomon 5)
Second, "Love as an attitude." (Ephesians 5:25) And God says, "Husbands love your wives as Christ loved the church and gave himself for it.
Third, "Love as an emotional need." One of our deepest emotional needs on the human level is the need to feel loved, by the significant people in our lives.
5 Love languages
- Using Words of Affirmation (1 Corinthians 8:1 Love edifies, love builds up, so its using words to build up the other person.) Example: You look nice in your outfit.. Proverbs 18;21 "Life and death is in the power of the tongue.
- Giving Gifts (Ephesians 5:25 Husbands are to love their wives as Christ loved the church and gave himself for it. James 1:17 All good gifts come down from the Father of Lights.) Gifts don't need to be expensive. It's not the thought that counts, but the gift that come out of the thought in your head. You can get flowers for free in spring.
- Acts of Service (1 John 3:18 Love not only in words, but in deeds. Do something to show your love. Example: Now in marriage, this is such as cooking a meal, washing the dishes, vacuuming, walking the dog, washing the car, changing the baby's diaper. Anything that you know they would like for you to do.
- Quality Time (Mark 3:14 says of Jesus: He ordained twelve, we call them 12 disciples. Listen that he might be with them. And then send them forth to preach.) Jesus preached to the multitudes but he gave quality time to 12 men, they hang out together day and night. As husband and wife, we're looking at each other, and sharing life with each other. Example: What happened in your life today, honey? Let's share a few things that happened today in our lives and how we feel about it.
- Physical Touch - Mark 10:13 Jesus was preaching to the multitudes and people started bringing their children to Jesus and his disciples rebuked them. Jesus said: "Let the little children come to me for such is the Kingdom of God. He (Jesus) put his hands on them and blessed them. Jesus touched the children. He's always touching people. This is why we pick up babies. In marriage, this includes holding hands, kissing, embracing, the whole sexual part of marriage, arm around the shoulder.