God's Love Language

"But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." Romans 5:8

Dr. Gary Chapman is well-known for his book, The Five Love Languages, asserting that each of us recognizes love most readily when it is demonstrated in our language.  He categorizes these love languages as:  words of affirmation, gifts, acts of service, quality time, and physical touch.  This man and his book have helped many couples return from the brink of divorce and reconcile, and has helped many a parent redeem and restore relationships with their children.  

May God richly bless him.

But, the Holy Bible tells us about a different love language.  It tells us about a language much more powerful in communicating love.  This language embodies these five methods in one, and so much more.  It is God's love language, and it is a language we don't hear about too often.  

God's love language is sacrifice.  

Jesus willingly sacrificed His life for you and for me. 

John 15:13 tells us, "Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends."  

Jesus sacrificed His life so that you and I could receive His salvation, and while we choose to serve Him out of grateful hearts, He doesn't call us His servants.  He calls us His friends (John 15:15).

The Holy Bible tells us in 1 Samuel 15:22, "But Samuel replied: “Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the Lord? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams."  

While God sent His Son to be the sacrifice for us, He doesn't delight in sacrifices.  He would much rather we obey Him, but since we didn't and couldn't, He loved us so much that He did the sacrificing for us.

I don't know about you, but my selfish human nature and tendencies toward me, myself, and I are completely blown away by a love this great.  I can't even wrap my head around it.  It is a love like no other, and there never will be any greater love than this.

Do you know this love?

This Valentine's Day, may we honor the sacrifice of the One who is the very definition of love, our Creator, the Maker of us all, by giving the life He has blessed us with back to Him in return.

That's a decision we will never regret.

Happy Valentine's Day, Runners.