Feel the Love Today

Maybe you've read the book "The Five Love Languages." I think I only read bits and pieces of it, but I did read enough to know that in the book, Gary Chapman, claims there are five different ways people give and receive love. The way a person most experiences love is what Chapman calls their "love language." If you haven't read it, check it out, it will really help you to understand your relationships with people. Anyway, the five languages Chapman lists are these: words of affirmation, giving gifts, acts of service, quality time and touch. Most people I've met who have read this book find it to be quite true and revolutionary in helping them to better love their spouses and to feel more loved in return.

The other day I was dwelling on God being the embodiment of love and I thought of this book. My line of thinking then took me to wonder this: if God is love, and assuming these five love languages are true, did God express them through his son Jesus and, if so, how? I started to look into it and the answer was pretty cool. So today, I want to take you on the journey of God showing his love in ways that all personalities will understand it. The best part is that Jesus expressed all five forms of love during the Last Supper. It was the last chance he would have with his disciples before his death, and how amazing that he took the time to show his love to them in five different languages? So we're going to look at each "language" and find where in the Last Supper Christ shows this.

Words of Affirmation
In John 14:31-38, Jesus tries to tell his disciples that he will only be with them a while longer. In his speech he states: "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another" (vs. 34). Jesus doesn't beat around the bush, he states openly his love for his friends. It doesn't stop there, look at the Bible, it is his love letter to you. For those who feel loved by words of affirmation, look to all the times God speaks of his love for us. He calls us his children (Romans 8:16) and his chosen people (1 Peter 2:9).

Gifts
If you grew up in church, you have probably heard this verse quoted lots of times. It is when Jesus breaks the bread and hands it to his disciples to eat that he says, "This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me" (Luke 22:19). If you feel loved by receiving gifts, please know that the God of all creation gave you the greatest gift that could ever be offered. He gave himself. Maybe this is why John 3:16 is so popular, because it is a reminder of just how loved we are by God that he would offer his only son. Dwell on that and drink that in today. You are so loved that the very God who made you would give you the gift of his Son.

Acts of Service
We are back to the Gospel of John for this one and in John 13, just before the Passover Feast, we see perhaps the greatest example of an act of service by Jesus. John 13:3 says that Jesus, "having loved his own who were in the world, he now showed them the full extent of his love" and he did that by taking on the role of a slave. Jesus took off his outer garments knelt before the feet of his disciples and washed them (John 13:4,5). This was the job for the lowest slave in the house, yet the Master of all things took it upon himself to serve his people. Please don't miss this: he washed the feet of Judas Iscariot, the man who would hand him over to be killed within 24 hours. He served his betrayer along with his other disciples. What kind of love is this, but one that serves?

Quality Time
This one isn't too hard to figure out. Jesus offered quality time to the disciples simply by eating with them. Look at how he puts it when he tells the disciples how to ask for a place to eat. He says, "Go into the city to a certain man and tell him, 'The teacher says: My appointed time is near. I am going to celebrate the Passover with my disciples at your house'" (Matthew 26:18). Did you catch the word celebrate? Jesus wanted to spend time enjoying an evening with his disciples and close friends. How beautiful? Not only that, but he has given us the beautiful gift of prayer in which we can constantly and intimately spend time with him. He loves you enough to give you his time and I honestly believe he enjoys the time you spend with him.

Touch
This one is probably the most difficult to describe now, but first, let's look to the Passover. In John, Jesus makes it a point to say that one of the disciples is going to betray him. After this declaration look at what John does: "Leaning back against Jesus, he asked, 'Lord, who is it?" (John 13:25). Can you imagine casually leaning back against Jesus? How incredible is it that we are allowed to touch God? This may seem far off now, but God still touches us. The Psalmist often talks about resting in the "shadow of [his] wings" (Psalm 17:8). He presents a picture of a mother bird closing her wings around her young in an act of both protection and love. Not only this, but God touches us through people. It may be a little more abstract than the other love languages, but can't you hardly contain your excitement for when you reach heaven and Christ has his arms open for you to run into a big hug?
 
Whatever form of love speaks to you the most, please realize that God will use it. He is the embodiment of love, how could he not? So please, feel loved today. Be reassured of the depth of love your Maker has for you and thank him for it. Then, show it back in whatever way you do best and live your life in love today.