Ecosystem of Love
We hear statements like “love is the answer”, “all you need is love”, “love wins all arguments”, and “love not hate”. And the list goes on.
So, is love all we need?
How do we love?
What does love even look like?
Is love a feeling?
Jesus said, “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” John 13:35
What did Jesus mean by that?
If you love one another… what does that look like in practice?
Dr. Gary Chapman wrote a book called “The Five Love Languages”.
Through many years of working with couples and families, he assembled tangible empirical data that found every human shows and receives love in one of 5 key ways.
Receiving Gifts
Words of Affirmation
Acts of Service
Physical Touch
Quality Time
Dr. Chapman says we develop our love language from as young as 2 years of age and each person has one primary that is above all the others.
In a future video I’ll be expounding intensively on each one, but today only want to give you an extensive idea of what they are.
Which one do you think you are?
Receiving Gifts
Words of Affirmation
Acts of Service
Physical Touch
Quality Time
You can take a short quiz right on Dr. Chapman’s website.
Some character traits of Love are mentioned in 1 Corinthians 13. If you’ve ever been to a wedding in a church, I’m sure you’ve heard this passage before.
“Love is patient
Love is kind and is not jealous;
Love does not brag and is not arrogant,
Does not act unbecomingly;
it does not seek its own,
is not provoked,
does not take into account a wrong suffered [doesn’t keep a record of wrongs],
does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth;
bears all things,
believes all things,
hopes all things,
endures all things
Love never fails.
1 Corinthians 13:4-8 tells us exactly how we are supposed to love one another through the lens of our character, but even more so this is how God loves us.
This is what Love is. But is love a feeling or an action?
1 John 4:8 says, “Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.”
Love is less how we feel and more how we think and act.
3 Questions To Ponder
How do you want or prefer to receive love? If you are unsure, consider taking Dr. Chapman’s “Five Love Languages” quiz.
How can you show love to someone in a way that they KNOW you are loving them?
When people look at you, think about you, and consider your reputation, do they perceive you as a loving person?
NOTE: This is something I’m still working at myself, so please don’t take me asking this question as I personally have arrived at that. I had a moment earlier today where I didn’t show love to my son in a conversation that escalated, but we later made it right with one another.
What about you… did you have a moment lately when you could have been more loving?
Let’s ask ourselves these questions and make sure others see you as someone who loves as Jesus wants his disciples to be so the world will know you belong to him.
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