The Five Love Languages for Singles

Love is something you do for someone else, not something you do for yourself.

Love doesn't erase the past, but it makes the future different.

All of us blossom when we feel loved and wither when we do not feel loved.

It takes time and the conscious choice to listen.

..there is hope. That's the marvelous thing about being human. We can change our future. We need not be enslaved by the experiences of the past. We can learn to love even when we have not received love.

Love is the fundamental building block of all human relationships. It will greatly impact our values and morals. Love is the important ingredient in one’s search for meaning.

Many people mess up every new day with what happened yesterday. They insist on bringing into today the failures of yesterday, and in so doing pollute a potentially wonderful day. When bitterness, resentment, and revenge are allowed to live in the human heart, words of affirmation will be impossible to speak. The best thing we can do with past failures is to let them be history.

The choice to love is the choice to take initiative. It is the choice to do or say something for the other person’s benefit, something that would help make them a better person, something that would enrich their lives or make life more meaningful for them.

Love is not a feeling; it is a way of behaving.

A gift is a gift only when given as a genuine expression of love, not as an effort to cover over past failures.

Remember, love is the attitude that wishes good things for the other person. Do you desire the best possible life for your mom and dad for the rest of their years?” “Yes,” Brian said. “Then ‘I love you’ is a true statement.

Nothing has more potential for strengthening one’s sense of well-being than effectively loving and being loved.

In every vocation, those who truly excel have genuine desire to serve others.

Women like to be affirmed verbally, just as men like to be affirmed verbally. They tend to pull away from dating partners who do not give affirmation. Lack of verbal affirmation is interpreted as lack of love.

may be offended. She thinks I wasn’t doing my job

Genuine service demands that we speak the truth in love. We do not serve each other by avoiding one another’s weaknesses.

What we dislike in others is often a weakness in our own lives.

That’s the marvelous thing about being human. We can change our future. We need not be enslaved by experiences of the past. We can learn to love even when we have not received love.

Words of affirmation are simply true statements affirming the worth of another person.

Love is not a feeling, it is a way of behaving.

Releasing the person is not forgiveness. Forgiveness is a response to confession. It is rather a releasing of my hurt and anger so that I am no longer consumed by them. It is choosing to love people in spite of the wrong they have done to me. It does not restore the relationship, but it does allow me to live my life in peace and love toward others.

Words of affirmation, quality time, gifts, acts of service, physical touch—

If a person is going to change, they are most likely to do so when they feel loved and accepted by the person requesting the change.

As you know, we can’t make other people change. But we can influence people to make changes. “The greatest way to have a positive influence on anyone is to love them.

Never give advice until you are sure the other person wants it.

1. To what degree was the love language of gifts spoken by your parents to you and to each other? 2. How often do you give gifts to those you love and care for? 3. What is the last gift you gave and to whom did you give it? 4. Do you find speaking the love language of gifts difficult, or does it come naturally for you? Why? 5. In your conversation with others, do you consciously listen for gift ideas? Would keeping a gift list in your notebook be helpful for you? 6. If you enjoy receiving gifts, from whom would you most like to receive one? Would it be appropriate for you to give this person a gift this week?

You cannot force someone to accept an expression of love. You can only offer it. If it is not accepted, you must respect the other person’s decision.

THINGS TO THINK ABOUT 1. To what degree did you receive words of affirmation from your parents? 2. Do you find it easy or difficult to speak words of affirmation to your parents? Why? 3. If you find it difficult, is it time for you to take the initiative to express words of affirmation to your parents? 4. How freely do you express words of affirmation in other relationships? 5. Is there a relationship you would like to enhance? Do you think speaking words of affirmation would be meaningful to that person?

Covenant love requires knowledge of the nature of love and the will to love.