Reason #927
They say love is a universal language. I suppose that's true. We all understand the idea of love, and we know what it looks like. But isn't it interesting that we all give and receive love in a different way?
We learn what love looks like from how it is modeled for us as children. Usually, the way we like to give and receive love is how we were loved by our parents. Supposedly, there are five major love languages. At least, that's what the book says. Anyway, we each have our own desired love language and it's either affection, quality time, words of affirmation, gifts, or acts of service. I think these all play out in our lives in one way or another, but if I had to rank them for myself, quality time, words of affirmation, and acts of service would tie for first, and affection and gifts would tie for second. And when I look back on my childhood, I can clearly see why I associate those top three things with love.
Sometimes it's hard to explain love. We have these ideas of what love should look like, and we just expect people to understand that. When I write someone a really long note or cook them dinner, I fully believe they understood that as my way of loving on them. After all, that's how I would take it. But I've learned that loving people in the way you want to be loved doesn't always work. The best way to show someone you love them is to love them in the way they want to be loved.
God knows exactly how to love each one of us, and I am constantly amazed of how He does that for me. He has this incredible way of making me feel like I have His absolute full attention every time I sit down with my bible or go to Him in prayer. I am fully aware of the fact that He is lending His ear and attention to millions of people at once, but He somehow He makes me feel like I've got His complete attention and it's just the two of us. And there will be those moments when I hear a song, read a piece of scripture, or read a devotion and I just know the Lord wrote it for me. It's so intentional and so specific that I have no doubt He took the time to lay those words on the author's heart just so I could be blessed by them. A love note to me straight from the Lord, and I am overwhelmed by His love for me.
He loves me in a million different ways, but in all the ways I need it. One of the many things I appreciate about Him is that He can read our minds, and He knows our hearts so well, so He knows exactly what to do to speak to us. He knows what will fill us with joy. He knows what will encourage us. He knows what will really make us feel most loved, and He does it. His love is intentional, and I think that's what makes it so sweet.
We can give and receive love in a lot of ways, but the intentionality is what makes it understood. Loving intentionally requires more than simply loving. Intentional love takes work and effort. So He must think we're worth it. God thinks you're worth it. And so is He. After all, love is a two way street. He is worth our intentional love, our intentional efforts, and our intentional pursuit. And when we are intentional to love the Lord, we'll be amazed at how intentionally and abundantly He will pour out His love on us.
#927 - Because He knows exactly how to love me.
"How priceless is your unfailing love, O God!" - Psalm 36:7
We learn what love looks like from how it is modeled for us as children. Usually, the way we like to give and receive love is how we were loved by our parents. Supposedly, there are five major love languages. At least, that's what the book says. Anyway, we each have our own desired love language and it's either affection, quality time, words of affirmation, gifts, or acts of service. I think these all play out in our lives in one way or another, but if I had to rank them for myself, quality time, words of affirmation, and acts of service would tie for first, and affection and gifts would tie for second. And when I look back on my childhood, I can clearly see why I associate those top three things with love.
Sometimes it's hard to explain love. We have these ideas of what love should look like, and we just expect people to understand that. When I write someone a really long note or cook them dinner, I fully believe they understood that as my way of loving on them. After all, that's how I would take it. But I've learned that loving people in the way you want to be loved doesn't always work. The best way to show someone you love them is to love them in the way they want to be loved.
God knows exactly how to love each one of us, and I am constantly amazed of how He does that for me. He has this incredible way of making me feel like I have His absolute full attention every time I sit down with my bible or go to Him in prayer. I am fully aware of the fact that He is lending His ear and attention to millions of people at once, but He somehow He makes me feel like I've got His complete attention and it's just the two of us. And there will be those moments when I hear a song, read a piece of scripture, or read a devotion and I just know the Lord wrote it for me. It's so intentional and so specific that I have no doubt He took the time to lay those words on the author's heart just so I could be blessed by them. A love note to me straight from the Lord, and I am overwhelmed by His love for me.
He loves me in a million different ways, but in all the ways I need it. One of the many things I appreciate about Him is that He can read our minds, and He knows our hearts so well, so He knows exactly what to do to speak to us. He knows what will fill us with joy. He knows what will encourage us. He knows what will really make us feel most loved, and He does it. His love is intentional, and I think that's what makes it so sweet.
We can give and receive love in a lot of ways, but the intentionality is what makes it understood. Loving intentionally requires more than simply loving. Intentional love takes work and effort. So He must think we're worth it. God thinks you're worth it. And so is He. After all, love is a two way street. He is worth our intentional love, our intentional efforts, and our intentional pursuit. And when we are intentional to love the Lord, we'll be amazed at how intentionally and abundantly He will pour out His love on us.
#927 - Because He knows exactly how to love me.
"How priceless is your unfailing love, O God!" - Psalm 36:7
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