God's Love Language

What Is God's Love Language?

If we reflect on it, what is God's love language?

A few months ago I read Gary Chapman's book The 5 Love Languages. In this book, Gary Chapman describes five ways to express and experience love, which Chapman calls "love languages." The five are Praise (Words Of Affirmation), Receiving Gifts (Receiving Gift), Quality Time (Quality Time), Physical Touch (Physical Touch), and Acts of Service (Acts of Service).

Chapman writes that every person must have one primary or dominant love language. I agree with this, but as a Christian I could not stop thinking "What is God's love language?". 

Does God have a primary love language? Is He able to show all the love languages equally? How does He show them?

I was reminded of Chapman's words in his book, "To discover another person's love language, one must observe how they express love to others". If the way to discover another person's love language is by observing how they express love, then to discover God's love language I must observe how God expresses His love to humanity.

Of course, one only needs to turn to the Bible to observe how God loves humanity. It did not take long for me to realize that God shows His love through all the love languages.

Let us discuss them one by one:

God's First Love Language: Praise (Words Of Affirmation)

From the Old Testament to the New Testament, the Bible is filled with Words of Affirmation where God says that He loves us. Words of praise or affirmation from God are often used to strengthen our faith and give us hope and strength. Consider the examples below:

do not fear, for I am with you, do not be dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, surely I will help you; I will uphold you with My victorious right hand. - Isaiah 41:10

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 5:4 Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. 5:5 Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.  - The Beatitudes from Matthew 5:1-12

God's Second Love Language: Receiving Gifts (Receiving Gift)

Of course one of God's love languages is Receiving Gifts! There is no greater gift than God being willing to give His Son for humanity's salvation.

For God so greatly loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life. - John 3:16

Quality Time (Quality Time)

God will give quality time to us who follow Him and live in Him, both in this world and in the life to come (Heaven).

In My Father's house are many dwelling places. If not, surely I would have told you. For I am going there to prepare a place for you. 14:3 And if I have gone there and prepared a place for you, I will come again and take you to My place, so that where I am, you may be also. - John 14:2-3

and teach them to do everything I have commanded you. And know this, I am with you always, to the very end of the age. - Matthew 28:20

Physical Touch (Physical Touch)

When we look at the life of Jesus, we will see that God shows His love language in the form of physical touch to humanity.

Then Jesus stretched out His hand and touched the man and said: "I am willing, be cleansed." Immediately the man was cleansed of his leprosy. - Matthew 8:3

Jewish custom did not allow someone to touch a person with leprosy. Those afflicted with leprosy were usually isolated from the city and simply left alone. Jesus could have healed this leper by saying "be healed," but He did not do that. What Jesus did was stretch out His hand and touch the man as if to say "I am not afraid to touch you, I love you". Imagine the joy that man with leprosy must have felt. Jesus showed a love language in the form of physical touch in a very personal way.

Acts of Service (Acts of Service)

What about Acts of Service? From the miracles Jesus performed to His journey to the cross and dying for our redemption, He showed a love language in the form of extraordinary acts of service!

And after taking the five loaves and the two fish, He looked up to heaven and gave thanks, then broke the loaves and gave them to His disciples, for them to distribute to the people; so also the two fish were divided among them all. - Jesus feeds 5000 people, Mark 6:41

When Jesus was recognized by the people in that place, they spread the news throughout that whole region. Then all who were sick were brought to Him. 14:36 They begged to be allowed to touch the fringe of His robe. And all who touched Him were healed. - Matthew 14:35-36

God masters all the love languages because He Himself is love. He has consistently shown His love to humanity from the Old Testament era, the New Testament, until now and in the time to come. God does not focus on only one love language; He can show all five love languages appropriately according to the needs of those who need them.

Beloved, let us love one another, for love comes from God; and everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. 4:8 Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. - John 4:7-8

Related Articles:

• The Greatest Love 
• Love Never Fails. Is That True?
• Radical Love: Loving Your Enemies
• 3 Mindsets to Help You Love People Who Are Hard to Love
• Our Compassion, God's Way of Answering Their Prayers

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