Nougat 16

Have you ever been hungry? Really and truly hungry? I have seen hunger that had the person ‘inhale’ food, without a pause to savor it. I’ve also seen hunger that generates sightless devotion to the source of food. What then, should our hungering heart look like, as we THROW our hearts to God? Please receive today’s Holy Nougat

“Her sister, Mary, sat at the Lord’s feet, listening to what he taught. There is only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it, and it will not be taken away from her.”” ‭‭Luke‬ ‭10‬:‭39‬, ‭42‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Hungry Hearts

In his book of the same name, Dr Gary Chapman offered the world an in depth study of the Five Love Languages. This seminal work presented five basic ways in which people demonstrate love for each other. They are: Words of Affirmation, Acts of Service, Receiving Gifts, Quality Time, and Physical Touch. As a resource for romance, Dr Chapman proposed that we ought to know the Love Language that defines our partner and demonstrate our love to our beloved in the person’s Love Language.

I further understood Chapman’s thesis as saying that our natural Love Language might not be our mate’s. If we have not done due diligence to determine and share our love language, we can run the risk of a) being starved for affection; or b) becoming frustrated by others who don’t ‘reciprocate’, as we only desire one thing.

Having not been around the sisters Mary and Martha, I can’t definitely say this was the case. But given the complaint raised by Martha, I am inclined to think she demonstrated her love through Acts of Service. Martha was busy in the kitchen, ensuring that Jesus’ physical need for food was met. To her surprise, on that day when she needed Mary’s support, Mary was lallygagging. She was presuming herself better than she ought, for there was Mary sitting in the company of the men – at Jesus’ feet!

Scandalous!

Or was it?

For Mary, if we’re using the premise of Love Languages, was a Quality Time girl. And that’s what she offered to Jesus. Her best gift. Her devotion and hunger for God’s Word. We might recall Matthew’s portrayal of the hungry in Jesus sermon. Jesus promised those who hungered for righteousness would be filled (see Matthew 6) and Mary was having her fill.

Again I suggest (I discussed the story of these two siblings before), Martha’s Love Language was not the issue. It was her attitude toward Mary that became an issue. Two days ago when we began our reflection on matters of the heart, I indicated that we all face comparisons. Our response to comparison can be our downfall. I dare suggest that Martha was feeling starved for attention but used the wrong approach to satisfy her hunger.

I believe that God operates in all five Love Languages, but bitterness is not a Love Language. And where bitterness or resentment manifests as a result of our spiritual hunger, we must take a rain check. It will be taken away from us. When our hunger for Jesus manifests in the move of God’s Spirit in tandem with our Love Language, we will be filled. Regardless of the other languages, relationships flourish when Quality Time is invested into knowing the other. Our relationship with Jesus also needs Quality Time. Could God be hungry for our time right now?

We desire to deserve God’s best. Let’s ensure that our Words of Affirmation, Acts of Service, Gift Giving/Receiving, and Touch are offered to God as our reasonable service. Spending Quality Time with God, through daily prayer and meditation helps us know when and how to do the rest. We hunger for God’s intervention, let’s take time to seek God’s face. Then, we who are hungry may be filled.

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May all we seek be found in Christ