If I really love my wife then I will love her the way she most wants to be loved. There are five possible primary love languages, according to Gary Chapman,and they are: quality time, acts of service, words of affirmation, physical touch, and gifts. Chapman says that the key to healthy relationship is to find out our spouse's primary love language and love her/him in that way. This was a huge wake up call for me early in marriage since I tend to love people the way I most want to be loved and not the way they most need to be loved.
I tend to do the same thing with Jesus. I love him through words of affirmation as I sing songs to him. I love him through the gifts of my tithes and offerings. I love him by spending quality time with him, reading his word and praying. I love him through acts of service done in his name. While Jesus must certainly appreciate all of these expressions of my love, they do not address Jesus' primary love language. Jesus tells us the way he most wants to be loved in today's reading, John 14:15. He says, "if you love me, you will obey me." The ultimate way, then, to love Jesus is to discern his will and do it. Submitted obedience speaks louder than our words, gifts, time, and acts.
Lord, today I will love you through my obedience to your commands.
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