Love Languages ~ Fourth Lesson ~ Receiving Gifts

Here is the fourth in the five part series of notes on the book by Gary Chapman, "The Five Love Languages". You can see the first three in the archived section of the blog. See the reference to the right which lists the title and date of each section. I hope you are enjoying this study and are finding yourself and your friends and family in these descriptions. Be sure to keep their tank filled with actions that they interpret as love!  M

#4 ~ Receiving the Gifts

A gift is a visual symbol of love.

God's word shows us how His love language incorporates Giving

John 3:16 "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."
Jeremiah 27:5 "With my great power and outstretched arm I made the earth and its people and the animals that are on it, and I give it to anyone I please."
Job 42:10 "After Job had prayed for his friends, the Lord made him prosperous again and gave him twice as much as he had before."
Proverbs 18:16 "A gift opens the way for the giver and ushers him into the presence of the great."
Matthew 2:11 "On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh."
Luke 11:13 "If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!"
Eph 2:8 "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God--"

The following are ways that one receives gifts:

* gifts represent love
A gift is something you can hold in your hand and say, "look, this person was thinking of me".

* a gift does not need to be expensive
The cost of the gift is not important. The gift can be purchased, found, or made.
ie: a shell from the seashore, a handmade card, a cut flower, an expensive ring, or even a gift of your time is highly appreciated

*gifts are always accepted and welcome
if the recipient is critical of the gift, it is probably not their love language because the person with the gift of recieving gifts is just happy that you thought of them

*receiving gifts is so important to this person that it overpowers the need to safe
Like it or not, this person's love tank needs refilling on a regular basis. If you are a saver and have problems with investing in gifts for the giver, there will be problems.

*your physical presence is a gift too
Your giving of your presence in a time of need or crisis is just like a wrapped gift.
If you fail to give this gift, it can be cause long term problems.

GIFTS ARE IMPORTANT!