 One
day, a man and a woman got married. Things were
fine, except in the area of communication. The
woman was very upset because the husband never told
her that he loved her. So on their 5th anniversary
she finally asked him, “Do you still love me?” To
which the husband looked surprised and replied,
“Well of course I love you! Don’t you remember I
told you that on the day we got married??”
In healthy relationships, we need regular
affirmation that we are loved. Dr. Gary Chapman
brilliantly surmised that there are at least 5 ways
that ‘love’ is communicated. These ways are through
1. affirming words; 2. quality time spent with
another; 3. giving gifts; 4. acts of service;
and 5. physical touch. If you are married, it is
good to recognize the main ‘love language’ your
spouse needs to be receiving from you, because we
speak different languages than our spouse does
sometimes. If you have not been feeling very loved
by your spouse, check and see whether or not they
are speaking to you in the love language you need to
receive and then address that with them. These
languages of love are in our other relationships as
well, like our kids, parents, and others. Learning
to speak in someone’s love languages can
significantly improve our relationships.
Jesus desires not just that we believe in Him, but
relationship with us as well. Do you realize He
speaks to us in descriptions of
relationships? “Yet to all who did receive Him,
who believed in His name, He gave the right to
become CHILDREN of God” (John 1:12). And many times
God calls His Church His “Bride”; “For your Maker is
your HUSBAND, the Lord of hosts is His name…”
(Isaiah 54:5, Rev.
21:9; 19:7). He takes the closest and best relationships we can
potentially experience in life and says, ‘this is how close I want
our relationship to be’.
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Over the years, my concept of “going to Church” has evolved. What
I have come to discover is that coming to Church isn’t just to make
a spouse or momma happy, nor is it just checking off some divine ‘to
do list’ that Christians are supposed to do. When I come to God’s
House, He nurtures my relationship with Him. All 5 love languages
that people speak, God speaks to me here! 1. He speaks through the
Gospel His love to me regularly, which a healthy relationship
needs. 2. I am spending quality time with him in worship
(especially if the Pastor’s name is ‘McQuality’!...sorry, couldn’t
resist!). This is meaningful time spent. 3. He gives the gifts of
forgiveness, and the gifts of encouragement and friendship through
others here. 4. He serves me in innumerable ways and helps me in
both soul and body, through His Body, the Church. 5. And in a
special and mysterious way, He is physically present and comes to me
in Communion. For it’s here that Christ says, “Take, eat, this is
my body....take, drink this is my blood shed for you for the
forgiveness of sins.” In this meal, He is present to touch me in a
unique and special way.
Isn’t it wonderful that God does not just want us to merely believe
in Him, but wants a healthy and wonderful relationship with us?! We
are so blessed when we know our Lord in a personal way!
Daily devotion by Pastor Dan McQuality, Grace Lutheran Church, 201
S. College St., Lincoln, IL
10:30am Sunday Worship; 9:00am Bible Study
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