Day 17: Love languages: words...

After thinking about who we are called to love we are going to think a little about the ways we can show love.  This week we are going to start by thinking about Gary Chapman's five "love languages" and how we might use each of these to bless those people we are pulling out every day for Love 40 days.  The love languages give us different ways to show love to people, with the premise that people tend to receive love best via one or two "languages".  We will look at all if them this week - it may be that you can easily identify a particular language as being useful for a specific person.  If not, don't worry - all five languages are important to be received by everybody, so maybe you will just find some inspiration day by day...

Let's begin with words of affirmation.

Proverbs 18:21 tells us that the tongue can bring life or death  - our words are important.  We only need to read the book of James to be reminded of the power that our words can have when used carelessly, but this verse in Proverbs reminds us that our words also make a huge difference when used wisely and with love.

Telling people that they matter to us should not be underestimated.  How often have you heard people remark about a parent or partner: "they never told me they loved me"?  Even if love is shown in action the words: "I love you" - when genuine - make a difference to how we feel.  Words do not have to be spoken, they can be written, texted, even tweeted!  An encouraging chat or conversation can make somebody feel valued.  A thank you note listing ways that somebody has impacted your life can be treasured and reread and transform how people see themselves.

How many people do we know who play a soundtrack in their minds of the negative things they believe about themselves?  A great way to show love to somebody is to change their soundtrack and give them some true affirmation to play to themselves instead.

And if we worry that we are no good with words, then we needn't - Matthew 10:19-20 addresses this very concern: don't worry about how to respond or what to say.  God will give you the right words at the right time.  For it is not you who will be speaking - it will be he Spirit of your Father speaking through you.

If you have any stories to share about how words of affirmation have impacted your life or how you have used them to bless others, please do share them in the comments below.