Love is defined in terms of action.
Patience Understanding Hope
Support Putting someone's needs above your own Communication
Listening Making someone feel appreciated Service Happiness
Trust Loyalty Forgiveness Jesus Christ
"In the enriching of marriage, the little things are the big things." -James E. Faust
I feel that the actions of love we do daily are the little things that nurture a friendship and/or marriage.
"Love is like a flower, and, like the body, it needs constant feeding. The mortal body would soon be emaciated and die if there were not frequent feedings. The tender flower would wither and die without food and water. And so love, also, cannot be expected to last forever unless it is continually fed with portions of love, the manifestations of esteem and admiration, the expressions of gratitude, and the consideration of unselfishness." -Spencer W. Kimball
A Sunday school teacher once made this statement which really rang home for me. "Love does not have a shelf life. It must be constantly nurtured." I really like to cook, I especially like to use fresh ingredients and nothing that has expired. Some canned and dry food products can sit on a pantry shelf for years and still be good to use. However, not all food can sit long without spoiling. Neither can love. In my limited experience, if we want our love- with the Savior, significant other, friends, and family- to be great, we must continually refresh it with actions of love.
The five common love languages are:
1. Receiving Gifts
2. Words of Affirmation
3. Acts of Service
4. Physical Touch
5. Quality Time
Does this mean we are limited to these five only? Of course not. However these five give great examples of actions of love. We can show support by spending quality time with someone and listening to them. We may serve someone who is working in a garden by the serviceable act of bringing them a cold glass of water. Or, in showing God our love for Him, we can keep His commandments.
I have found that when I am dating someone, I often try to show them love in the way they give love to me. Does this mean that my love language changes? Maybe. We should not be afraid to lose ourselves in the service of others. In fact, maybe this will lead to conversations about how each other likes receiving love. We may have to spend time adjusting our current habits and trying to meet their needs. But, hey, wouldn't it be worth it if both parties are happy and feel loved?
Ephesians 5:25 "Husbands love your wives even as Christ also loved the Church and gave his life for it."
That scripture makes me feel that we should be willing to do whatever it takes to love our spouse. I've never been married so I do not have more than dating experiences and marriage observations to go on. But, I recognize that these things are easier said than done. Elder Richard G. Scott said, "Marriage provides an ideal setting for overcoming any tendency to be selfish or self-centered...Pure love is an incomparable, potent power for good and the foundation of a successful marriage." Love isn't limited, we can always create more of it if we need too. Likewise, we can develop the patience and apprecation necessary to do whatever it takes to love our spouse, friends, and Savior, Jesus Christ.
"[Love in Marriage] is deep, inclusive, and comprehensive. It is not like that association of the world which is misnamed love, but which is mostly physical attraction. When marriage is based on this only, the parties soon tire of one another... The love of which the Lord speaks is not only physical attraction, but spiritual attraction as well. It is faith and confidence in, and understanding of, one another. It is a total partnership. It is companionship with common ideals and standards. It is unselfishness toward and sacrifice for one another. It is cleanliness of thought and action and faith in God and his program... It is vast, all-inclusive, and limitless. This kind of love never tires or wanes. It lives on through sickness and sorrow, through prosperity and privation, through accomplishment and disappointment, through time and eternity."
(Faith Precedes the Miracle [1972], 130-31)
Q: What does love mean to you?
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