God Uses the Five Love Languages

Gary Chapman’s bestselling book, The Five Love Languages discusses the five distinct ways we express and prefer to have expressed love for each other. This document shows that God uses all five of these languages in his relationship with us.

Words of Affirmation

 We all have a need for encouragement, validation, and approval. Words of affirmation from God sustain us through difficult times and help us to persevere.

 For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. --Jeremiah 29:11 (ESV)

 His master said to him, “Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.” --Matthew 25:21 (ESV)

 Know therefore that the Lord your God is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, to a thousand generations. . . . --Deuteronomy 7:9 (ESV)

 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. --John 3:16-17 (ESV)

 You are my friends if you do what I command you.  No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you.

--John 15:14-15 (ESV)

 

Quality Time

 God is open and available 24/7/365. God never closes. Need him? He’s there for you faster than any 911 call can bring help. He will stay with you as long as you want.

 Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. --Ex 20:8 (ESV)

 And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you. And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. --Matt 6:5-8 (ESV)

 Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me. --Rev 3:20 (ESV)

 

Receiving Gifts

And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. --Acts 2:38 (ESV)

 For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,  and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. --Romans 3:23-25 (ESV)

 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. --Romans 6:23 (ESV)

 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. --James 1:17 (ESV)

 

Acts of Service

But he was wounded for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his stripes we are healed. --Isaiah 53:5 (ESV)

 Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. --John 15:13 (ESV)

 You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them.  It shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be your slave, even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many. --Matt 20:25-28 (ESV)

 And whoever in the name of a disciple gives to one of these little ones even a cup of cold water to drink, truly I say to you, he shall not lose his reward. —Matthew 10:42 (NASB)

 On the third day there was a wedding at Cana in Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. Jesus also was invited to the wedding with his disciples. When the wine ran out, the mother of Jesus said to him, “They have no wine.” And Jesus said to her, “Woman, what does this have to do with me? My hour has not yet come.” His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.” Now there were six stone water jars there for the Jewish rites of purification, each holding twenty or thirty gallons. Jesus said to the servants, “Fill the jars with water.” And they filled them up to the brim. And he said to them, “Now draw some out and take it to the master of the feast.” So they took it. When the master of the feast tasted the water now become wine, and did not know where it came from (though the servants who had drawn the water knew), the master of the feast called the bridegroom and said to him, “Everyone serves the good wine first, and when people have drunk freely, then the poor wine. But you have kept the good wine until now.” This, the first of his signs, Jesus did at Cana in Galilee, and manifested his glory. And his disciples believed in him. --John 2:1-11 (ESV)

 

Physical Touch

A gentle, affirming touch can be one of the most powerful demonstrations of care, affection, and support. A hand on the shoulder, a pat on the back, a brief caress—all these can say, “I love you,” or “I care about your happiness and success.”

 Then children were brought to him that he might lay his hands on them and pray. The disciples rebuked the people, but Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven.” And he laid his hands on them and went away. --Matt 19:13-15 (ESV)

 Now when the sun was setting, all those who had any who were sick with various diseases brought them to him, and he laid his hands on every one of them and healed them. --Luke 4:40 (ESV)

 When he came down from the mountain, great crowds followed him. And behold, a leper came to him and knelt before him, saying, “Lord, if you will, you can make me clean.”And Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him, saying, “I will; be clean.” And immediately his leprosy was cleansed. --Matt 8:1-3 (ESV)

 And as they went out of Jericho, a great crowd followed him. And behold, there were two blind men sitting by the roadside, and when they heard that Jesus was passing by, they cried out, “Lord, have mercy on us, Son of David!” The crowd rebuked them, telling them to be silent, but they cried out all the more, “Lord, have mercy on us, Son of David!” And stopping, Jesus called them and said, “What do you want me to do for you?” They said to him, “Lord, let our eyes be opened.” And Jesus in pity touched their eyes, and immediately they recovered their sight and followed him. --Matt 20:29-34 (ESV)

 

 

Compiled by Robert Harris, 8-13-2020