What's Your Love Language?

Read |Luke 10:38-42|

What's your love language? People all over the world, some coupled and others hopeful that they soon will be, have read Gary Chapman's work, The 5 Love Languages. In it Chapman articulates the 5 primary ways he believes people communicate and interpret the presence of love: words of affirmation, acts of service, receiving gifts, quality time and physical touch. I recently had the opportunity to take such an assessment and found that one of my primary modes of connection is quality time. Results, which would be unsurprising to anyone who has walked more than a day of life with me. Quality time is so important to me that I schedule it. In fact, it is its absence, in all my esteemed relationships that often serves as a trigger for the reevaluation of my priorities. And it would be in the midst of my morning prayers that I would be given the opportunity to rethink my priorities. 

My mind drifted in and out of focus. At one moment I was praising God only to then be carried away by the thought of an unresolved conflict, a future commitment and finally, the invitation to sleep. At the door of this final invitation came the realization, that although I valued undivided attention as an expression of love in my interpersonal relationships, I often deprived God of His rightful place as the center of my attention--as the One who captures my heart.

The first and great commandment is this: "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.'"(Matthew 22:37 -40, CSB). All. Complete. Total. Our God is one who values total devotion. If we consider the work of the cross, all of it from start to finish, was for the sake of drawing us into His presence. He drew us near by the blood of Jesus Christ. (Hebrews 10:19 - 22). He drew us near that we might remain so eternally! Our great hope, which will not be disappointed, is that we may be face-to-face with Him uninterrupted. (Romans 6:4-5; 1 Corinthians 13:12 & 1 Peter 1:3 ). Our God speaks the language of quality time. 

In our focus scripture for the day, we encounter the famed Mary. Mary the one who humbly sits at Jesus' feet and fixes her eyes on Him alone. Mary who accomplishes this dove-eyed focus, in spite an awareness of all "the preparations that had to be made" (Luke 10:40, CSB). How did Mary do it? How did she stay her mind on Him alone?

I believe Mary was convinced of a few things:

1. She was convinced that God desired her presence and loved her dearly. How else could she sit at His feet so expectantly? If she had doubted that her presence was desired, her uneasiness would have been evident. She likely would have looked for an escape into the realm of doing, where her sister Martha eagerly awaited her company. But, I believe she knew. I believe she knew that she was desired and greatly loved. And so she sat with her eyes on the One who first delighted in her. Beloved, you too are wanted and deeply loved by God. (1 John 3:1). Your Father delights in you! This is a reality worth embracing! 
2. She was convinced that God was awe-worthy. I believe Mary's knowledge of who He was emboldened her to ignore the distractions of the world pressing in and delight herself in Him alone. I believe that the joy of her first sight revelation of His person never left her. She was just as excited, moved and grateful as she was at first sight. Beloved, are you still in awe? Do you need to see Him again?

A Prayer for Returning
Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for the gift of prayer. Thank you for your desire and love for us. Thank you for drawing us near to you in Jesus Christ. Father, forgive us for doubting your desire and love for us. Forgive us for forgetting that you are God. Forgive us for forgetting that you are our God. You are our God who sees, knows, and acts on our behalf, so that we may confidently declare that all things will work for our good. (Romans 8:28). Father we ask you to rekindle the fire that blazed in our hearts we first saw you. We pray that you will help us to see you as you are--AWE-WORTHY. We thank you for receiving us still and for the strength that your Spirit gives us to return and fix our eyes on you only. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.

Go Deeper
Join the discussion in our Be-Held Book Community about prayer, as we read "Fervent: A Woman's Battle Plan to Serious, Specific and Strategic Prayer" by Priscilla Shirer.