Scriptures:
Proverbs 18:21
21 Death and life are in the power of the tongue, And those who love it will eat its fruit.
Ephesians 4:31-32
- Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. 32 And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.
Proverbs 6:16-19
16 These six things the Lord hates, Yes, seven are an abomination to [a]Him:
17 A proud look, A lying tongue, Hands that shed innocent blood,
18 A heart that devises wicked plans, Feet that are swift in running to evil,
19 A false witness who speaks lies, And one who sows discord among brethren.
Proverbs 12:18
There is one who speaks like the piercings of a sword, But the tongue of the wise promotes health.
Couples Devotion – September 20
September 20
Never abuse the primary love language. Never withhold it to hurt the other, for the hurt will go deep. A man who greatly values getting respect from his wife in public will not be able to take it when she mocks him in front of their friends. A woman who needs lots of verbal affirmation will be devastated by the silent treatment. (Hardcover, p. 155; paperback, p. 172)
THE ABUSE OF THE LANGUAGES. If we are angry with Our spouse we may instinctively get back at them by withholding a love language we know is valuable to them or even by giving them the very opposite behavior as a way of hurting them. But wounds inflicted in this way can be hard to heal. God did not do that to us. When the Israelites complained that they could not bear listening to his voice on Mount Sinai directly, God sent his word through a human prophet (Deuteronomy 18:15-19). God adapted his communication to our capacities. Jesus himself is God’s way of giving us love in a form to which we could relate (John 1:14). So love your spouse as God in Christ has loved you.
Reflection: Think of a time in which you were tempted to use your spouse’s love language against him or her.
Thought for prayer: In God’s presence, think of how he did
not merely send us a prophet to tell us about his love, but he gave us his Son to embody it and his Spirit to feel it, so we could know his love. Ask God to help you love your spouse in the same way.
Reference: The Meaning of Marriage by Timothy and Kathy Keller.