Several years ago, Gary Chapman first published his now classic book: The Five Love Languages. Chapman believes that we humans have been wired to feel loved by means of one of five "love languages." His basic characterization follows:

Several years ago, Gary Chapman first published his now classic book: The Five Love Languages. Chapman believes that we humans have been wired to feel loved by means of one of five "love languages." His basic characterization follows:

Love Language

#1 -- Words of Affirmation

#2 -- Quality Time

#3 -- Receiving Gifts

#4 -- Acts of Service

#5 -- Physical Touch

These insights show how people communicate love to one another, and how easy it is to "think" one is communicating love, yet come to find that the recipient didn't end up understanding such as "love".  The goal of the book is to help the individual first consider the other’s love language and then communicate love in the way that the individual will receive as love.

Chapman also published "The Love Languages of God".  It shows how God communicates love to us through our own love language.  The fact that God speaks our love language is wonderful, but what if we want to speak to God in His language of love?  It is beautiful to understand that we are created in the image of God and that He not only communicates love to us through our love language, but that He recognizes and receives all five love languages from us.  Given that, we can also look into His Word for what He writes and discover the things that are important to Him.

Jesus cites Deuteronomy 6:4-5, “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD: And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.”  He calls this the First and Great commandment.  Like Peter we are comfortable with the friendship kind of love (phileo), but when it comes to loving Jesus unto death (agape), we struggle.

Jesus understands our struggle and tells us that it is because our eyes are not single, meaning that our eyes are not focused on only one thing (Matthew 6:22).  In our consumer world, we have been conditioned to look for the next new thing, willing to abandon the old pursue for some new one.  One day we are focused on our possessions, another relationships and another our physical desires, but He tells us that if we will seek Him first, “all these things shall be added unto you (Matthew 6:33).”  So what would it take for us to speak this love language to God?  If we will make Jesus our treasure and focus exclusively on Him, we will be able to love Him with our heart, and with our soul, and with all our might.

Most of us have experienced giving a gift that we put a lot into, only to find it wasn’t quite what the individual wanted.  Often our misdirection was because we purchased what we liked and not what they liked.  Saul in 1 Samuel 15 came up with his own way to honor God.  The prophet rebuked the king saying, “…to obey is better than sacrifice (1 Samuel 15:22).”  Cain gave the best of his garden, but it was not what God required. 

So many times have I seen someone willing to give God everything but what He asked of them.  We are often willing to give our time, money and talents, but the lock on our hearts remains off-limits to its creator.  We are like the parent who showers their children with gifts, when what the child really wants is a mom and dad.  We spend our time on pursuits to impress God with things He finds less important.

The Bible does give us one factor above all others that is required to be pleasing to God.  Hebrews 11:6 says, “But without faith it is impossible to please him….”  The simplicity of faith is that a child is used to model it, but yet faith itself is the activating component of salvation, healing and relationship with God.

Could it be that our expressions of faith is the gift of love God really wants from us?  Let’s practice putting 2 Corinthians 5:7 into action and “walk by faith, not by sight.”