A Love Language Minute draws from Dr. Gary Chapman's years of counseling experience, excerpts from his live events, and his answers to listeners' questions to give encouragement and practical help and hope for the relationships in your life.
It's a given that you'll become angry with your spouse at some point in your marriage. Why, because they might not have lived up to your expectations. The first step in processing anger is to admit that you are angry.
All couples have conflicts, but shouting and arguing is not the way to solve those conflicts. Read Dr. Gary Chapman's book, Things I Wish I Had Known Before We Got Married for some wise advice.
If you're a single and feel like you're excluded from functions at your church, take the initiative to develop friendships with married church members. Attend as many functions as you can that don't exclude singles.
When your spouse confesses their failure to you, forgiveness is always the Christian response to confession and repentance.
Teachers know that if children feel loved by their teacher, they're far more likely to learn from that teacher. This will have a tremendous impact in the educational system.
Do you have to be perfect to have a good marriage? No, but you do have to learn to deal effectively with your failures.
If your desire is to start a marriage discipleship ministry in your church, where should you start? With your Pastor's direction, find several couples with strong marriages to serve as facilitators for the group - sharing their years of wisdom with the young couples.
As your spouse is preparing for deployment, ask them if there are some specific things you can do to make them feel loved.
Most of us are willing to admit that we aren't perfect. Make the effort to identify ways in which you have hurt your spouse, then confess them and change your behavior.
If your child's love language is Gift Giving, that doesn't mean you have to give them everything they ask for. When you give them gifts, make sure they are gifts that you think will be helpful for them. That's what love is all about.
Is it possible to put the past behind you and start over? Time will not solve the hurts of your past failures. Healing comes when you're willing to confess your failures and change your behavior.
It's possible for us to speak someone else's love language but want to receive our own love language. It's common for most of us to speak the love language that best connects with us, but not always.
Your girlfriend thinks you're the one to marry, but you're not so sure. If you've been dating for an extended period of time and still are unable to work through your issues and resolve them, maybe it's time to gently back away.
Most of us are willing to admit that we're not perfect. If you won't admit your faults to your spouse, it will build walls of separation in your marriage.
When dealing with conflict in your marriage, it's important to take a close look at what you contributed to the conflict. Even if your spouse is mostly at fault, be sure that you confess YOUR part of the problem.
It's important to focus on the present and future state of your marriage, but it's just as important to look back to the past. You must deal with past failures before you can put them behind you.
It's normal for couples to have issues that come up when they get married. Finances is often one of them. Talk about it! Consider holding a weekly conference together in which each of you brings up one item for discussion. That will present the opportunity to bring up issues that concern you the most.
Has your relationship moved past the tingly love stage? Does it make you wonder if you're still in love? When you come off of the emotional high, you'll see each other in a more realistic light. Learning to speak each other's love language keeps emotional warmth in your relationship.
The most important relationship is your relationship with God. If you feel like your relationship with God is growing stale, try expressing yourself to Him in all 5 love languages. You'll be amazed at how that revitalizes your relationship with Him.
The best way to express your love to your spouse is to speak their love language. An example - if her love language is Acts of Service, cheerfully perform tasks around the house that are helpful to her, even if you don't feel like doing them.
Christianity is a love relationship With God; but what does that look like in daily life? In Dr. Gary Chapman's book, God Speaks Your Love Language, you'll learn how He draws you to Himself when He speaks your love language.
If you're engaged to a man who constantly checks out other women, run! If he does this before you get married, you can be sure he'll continue to do that after marriage.
When conflict with your spouse ends in fights and arguments, entertaining thoughts of divorce is real. The answer is learning how to resolve conflict. Dr. Gary Chapman recommends that you read his book, Happily Ever After.
God's method of drawing us to Himself is love. God individualizes His expressions of love. He knows and speaks YOUR love language!
There's a lot of unlovely people in this world. One of them might be your spouse. As difficult as it is, the most powerful thing you can do is to love your unlovely spouse.
Jesus said, "As often as you do it, you do it unto me". How you express your love to others will depend on your own love language.
If depriving your parents from seeing their grandchild is because you're unwilling to forgive, you need help! Life is too short to live with broken relationships. Consider reading Dr. Gary Chapman's book, The Five Love Languages of Apology.
The good new is, all 5 love languages can be spoken long distance. Expressing them verbally or in written form can communicate your love while separated.
What is the greatest commandment of all? - to love God with all our heart, soul and mind. We love God because He first loved us. And God has expressed His love to each of us in our own primary love language.
It's easy to love someone who's lovely, but not so easy when they are unlovely. Jesus said we are to love and bless our enemies.
Why do Christians some times criticize each other? The way we express our love for God is usually different from the way someone else does. It's an indicator of what our love language is. Neither is right or wrong - just different.
Second marriages are difficult, especially when your new spouse has children from a previous marriage. Until that child becomes an adult, your spouse will always have some contact with the mother of that child.
Wouldn't it be easier if couples shared the same love language? Yes, but there are often dialects within the same language. So although you share the same love language, you still need to learn the nuances of each other's love language.
God uses people to reach people. He has demonstrated His love through Christ's sacrifice for us. But He has also chosen you to express His love to others in their own love language.
Listening to each other is critical to a healthy marriage. A spouse might often say something but mean something else. Ask questions. Their response to your questions might clarify what they really meant.
How do you know God loves you? In human relationships, we feel loved when the other person speaks to us in our love language. The same is true with God. Learn more by reading Dr. Gary Chapman's book, God Speaks Your Love Language.
All couples will have conflicts. Learning how to solve conflicts without arguing is key. It's essential for a healthy marriage. Learn how to listen to each other with empathy and respect.
You've discovered that your husband has been using drugs and gambling. Now what? Confront your husband with tough love. Let him know that you love him too much to allow this to go on. Seek counseling for him if he's willing.
It's amazing that God would want to have a relationship with us! God expresses His love for us in our own love language so that we'll know in our hearts that He loves us.
Prayer is an effective communication tool in a marriage. When married couples pray together, they're drawn more closely to each other and to God.
When your child becomes a teenager, it's time to stop preaching and start teaching. Teach your teen in a conversational style because it's much more effective than preaching at them. Preaching at your teen will drive them to go elsewhere for advice.
A long-term dating relationship may fail. Why?, because the "in love" feelings wear off. Dating couples should learn to speak each other's love language in order to keep their love alive.
Domestic abusers often blame their spouse. Scripture teaches us to love our enemies. However, love can be expressed by saying "I love you too much to allow you to continue this abuse". Move out if necessary until the abuser gets their anger under control.
Listen to your child's requests, and you'll discover their love language.
If you're frustrated about the lack of good communication with your spouse, ask them if they would be willing to read a book with you about how you can improve communication between the two of you.
What do you do when your husband's love language is physical touch but he's currently deployed? Look for creative ways to give an emotional touch while apart.
How do you learn your child's love language? - observe how they express love to others. Children love others in the language they wish to receive.
When one spouse talks all the time and the other spouse rarely talks, good communication won't happen. Listening to each other is just as important as talking.
One of the most important goals in parenting is to make sure your children grow up feeling loved. If your children are secure in your love, they'll be far more responsive to your teaching and training.
Your child drives you crazy. What can you do? The very first thing you can do is make sure they feel loved. The only way they'll feel loved is if you show them love in their own love language.