It’s so important for a married couple to understand what makes each of them feel loved.
The language of love for a wife might be affection, compliments, and small gifts. The language of love for a husband might be just showing up at his ball game.
The most important thing, however, is to better understand what God’s language of love is. Remember, Jesus told us, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength” (Mark 12:30).
This New Testament passage was originally written in Greek, and the ancient Greeks used a variety of words to describe love. One word for love was eros, meaning sexual love. Another was philia, meaning brotherly love. And a third word for love was agape—not a feeling, but a decision.
Agape is not the kind of love that says, “I’m going to derive pleasure from you by possessing you.” Agape doesn’t say, “I’ll love you just as long as you love me.” No, agape is a decision that says, “I’ll be primarily concerned with your well-being, regardless of your condition, and irrespective of your reaction.”
Still today, our relationships and our world are starving for agape love.
So, as you depend on the Spirit and walk obediently to the Word, God will mold and fill your heart so you can learn to love Him and others with a genuine love—the kind of love that can transform your marriage and produce a dynamic ripple effect around the world.