We often think about how much God loves us. He sent His Son to die for us so that we could have the chance to be saved. His Son died for us even while we were still sinners. We worship and adore God for His sacrificial love of us. God’s commitment to us is not based on anything we have done; it is based on His love for us, which is unconditional. But God also commands us to love Him. As in any relationship, it is a two-way street. We cannot just take God’s love and never love Him in return. God is a jealous God. He knows all things, but He still wants us to spend time with Him in prayer, to ask Him for the things He already knows we need. So what is God’s Love Language? How does He like to be loved?
He wants us to trust in Him.
When I am in a hard season, what I fear the most is that my circumstances won’t change. I have been working to trust God more in this area by remembering other difficulties He has brought me through and that He is faithful, that His plans for me are good.
God’s Love Language #1: Words of Affirmation
When God rescues me, I thank and praise Him for blessing me. I tell others of His goodness and mercy toward me.
To “worship in spirit and in truth” means to not put on airs, to not put on a show. It means that your worship comes from an authentic experience and relationship with God, out of true love for Him.
“Then Christ will make His home in your hearts as you trust in Him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong.”
Ephesians 3:17 NLT
He wants us to be faithful to Him.
What we can learn from God’s call on Hosea’s life is that God has feelings and that they were hurt by His people’s unfaithfulness (Hosea 1:2-3:5 NLT). We need to be obedient, even if it doesn’t make sense or leads to disappointment. God always knows best. There are so many things I am so glad He said no to. How about you?
Scripture says if we claim to be believers but only listen without doing what we’ve heard then we deceive ourselves. This is true because real believers know the point of listening is so that we will know what to do! (James 1:19-2:26 NIV)
God’s Love Language #2: Quality Time
To live by the Spirit means not letting the impulses of your flesh dictate your behavior or lifestyle. I try to remind myself that God is always watching and check that my actions are pleasing to Him and showing love to Him and others. Also, I ask myself if I’d want that thing done to me to make sure I am sowing to the Spirit and not my flesh. When I don’t get it right, I am thankful for God’s grace.
“And Jesus replied to him, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’”
Matthew 22:37 AMP
He wants us to love His ways.
To be transformed by the renewing of your mind means to change your mind about how you see things from the way the world depicts things to the way God does. That transformation happens as you get to know God and His great love for us. We start to see that His ways are for our good and better than the world’s.
God’s Love Language #3: Receiving Gifts
To truly love God with all your heart means to love Him fully and completely, not just when He does something we want. It means to prefer His ways to ours and to delight in Him.
Loving your neighbor as yourself can help you love God as we are commanded since it involves being intentional and making a decision to treat others as you would want to be treated.
“For the [true] love of God is this: that we habitually keep His commandments and remain focused on His precepts. And His commandments and His precepts are not difficult [to obey].”
1 John 5:3 amp
He wants us to love each other.
Faith expressing itself through love means showing love even when it’s someone who does not return it, even when circumstances are hard or unjust. When my emotions threaten to get in the way of showing up for others, I try to see their needs. It helps me reflect on my own and gives me perspective.
There have been times when I have forgotten that not everyone is as far along on their faith journey as me. At such times, I need to remember to extend them the same patience God extended me. My goal is to serve others by showing them the love of God and encouraging them in their faith walk.
God’s Love Language #4: Acts of Service
Serving as God’s co-worker means that we work together with God to bring about His purpose. We are soldiers in His army. We are called to win people to His kingdom, and He helps us to do so. We have to do our part to bring in the harvest because the laborers are few.
Being available means being willing to be led. What we plan may not be God’s plan; when He calls upon us to minister to a need, we have to allow Him to use us to advance His Kingdom and do His will.
“If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates (works against) his [Christian] brother he is a liar; for the one who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen. And this commandment we have from Him, that the one who loves God should also [unselfishly] love his brother and seek the best for him.”
1 John 4:20-21 AMP
An easy way for me to tell that I love God with all my heart, with all my soul, and with all my mind is how I treat others in any given situation. Do I have compassion for someone who has lied on me? Or is in the midst of spitefully using me? Do I demonstrate the Spirit’s fruit of self-control when I feel tempted to snap at someone? Do I put others who are in greater need ahead of me? Jesus set an example of humility for us all to follow when He washed His disciples’ feet.
Whatsoever you have done to the least of these, you have done also to me.
Jesus
When we obey Him, we show Him our love.
Happy Valentine’s Day 💖
This is beautiful. Learning Gods love language and applying it to our daily lives.
Thank you so much, Ty! All glory to God. He is definitely worthy! 🙌🏽🥰