Joy Through Service

The commandments of the Lord are right, bringing joy to the heart. The commandments of the Lord are clear, giving insight for living. (Psalm 19:8)

What if your significant other’s love language is acts of service? What if you discover that the thing that really makes her feel loved is your taking out the garbage, washing the dishes, or doing the laundry? One husband said, “I’d say that she is probably not going to feel loved.” Well, that’s one approach, but the more biblical approach is to learn to serve your spouse.

It may not be easy for you to learn to speak the language of acts of service. I remember one wife who told me, “I’ll have to admit, there were some trying and humorous times in those early weeks when my husband began to help me around the house. The first time he did laundry, he used undiluted bleach instead of regular detergent. Our blue towels came out with white polka dots. But it did not matter, because he was loving me in my love language and my love tank was filling up. Now he knows how to do everything around the house and is always helping me.

We have much more time together because I don’t have to work all the time. Believe me, I have learned to speak his love language too. We are a happy couple now. The Lord loves it when we serve each other in love and put each other’s needs above our own. When we follow his commands, joy often follows, as mentioned in the Psalm above and has evident in this couple’s example. Learn to speak your spouse’s love language, and you, too, can have a growing, thriving relationship.

PRAYER

Father, following your command brings joy. Thank you for the love and rejuvenation that can come when we serve each other and communicate love to each other. I pray for the grace to do that willingly.