There’s a wonderful book called The Five Love Languages written by Gary Chapman which is about five ways humans give and receive love. These languages are physical touch, words of affirmation, gifts, quality time and acts of service. Learning to love others in the way they feel loved is an important part of successful relationships and this book helps you do that. I went to a two day woman’s conference to discuss this and his other books to learn how to love little children, teenagers, singles and my spouse. There were about 100 of us there. Women want working relationships and we put a lot of effort into finding ways to make them work.
After the conference, as I thought of my relationship with God, I wondered if God tells us if He has a love language and if He does what is it? My first thought is the verse typically quoted, “if you love me keep my commandments;” which Jesus says in John 14:15 and is repeated several times throughout scripture. We have to ask – what commandments? What does he mean – “commandments?” That seems like an overwhelming question but should it be? Should it really be that hard? After all, Jesus also says in Matthew 11:30 “my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” What commandments do we follow?
The answer is in Mark 12:30-31
30″Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ 31 The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.”