What’s Your Partner’s Love Language?
9 February 2022
I know. You opened today’s WFW desperately hoping for a celebratory rant about this Sunday’s upcoming Superbowl victory by the Cincinnati Bengals! Totally understandable.
However, I’m running a trick play this WFW. Let’s get a game plan together for Valentine’s Day next week. Instead of highlighting the Super Bowl, let’s consider what makes for a Super Relationship! Over the course of my ministry, one sure-fire strategy that’s emerged for a game-winning relationship is discovering each other’s “love languages.” Dr. Gary Chapman is credited for identifying five primary ways all of us can feel loved. While all five are important, different people feel more loved through certain dynamics than others.
The Top Five Love Languages are: words of affirmation, gifts, acts of service, quality time, and physical touch. Here’s the idea: just because YOU think steak and potatoes are the best meal ever doesn’t mean your partner does. Or even though you think a watching a romantic comedy is a sensational movie night, don’t expect your partner to enjoy the evening if they really prefer action flicks. On Valentine’s Day—and all throughout the year—we want our loved ones to feel loved! So, as faithful partners, we want to understand how THEY feel loved and then use THAT love language to convey our strong support. Commitment to this strategy can drastically improve the satisfaction levels of any relationship!
Many football teams capitalize on a two-minute drill. Right now, commit to a relationship-enhancing two-minute drill and watch this video clip that overviews the 5 Love Language strategy:
Well done! Interested in learning more? Here’s a 6-minute video that explains the Love Languages with great detail. The commentar is a bit dry but on the money:
You’re on a roll! Here is a little quiz that will take LESS than 5 minutes and reveal and rank YOUR love languages:
https://www.5lovelanguages.com/quizzes
Hopefully, the Bengals will win BIG on Sunday. But make sure YOU AND YOUR PARTNER are the big winners on Valentine’s Day. A ring sparkles. A dinner is delicious. But commit 15 minutes to understanding how you can enjoy your relationship more deeply for the rest of your life! Learn about the 5 Love Langauges!
Let us pray:
Dear God, you give us so many gifts. Out of the top three of faith, hope, and love (1 Corinthians 13), you tell us love is #1. Thanks for knowing each of us so well, that you love us in just the way we need. As we seek to be more like Jesus, help us figure out how our children, our friends, and especially our life partners FEEL and EXPERIENCE love from us. And give us the focus and smarts to share our love with them in words and deeds. Help us celebrate and maximize love with you. In Jesus’ name, Amen.