Are You Running on Empty?

There are three things that remain: faith, hope and love—yet love surpasses them all. 1 Corinthians 13:13 (TPT)

Did you know we all have a love tank? If your vehicle’s fuel tank gets low or runs out, you won’t get very far! The same is true of our personal love tanks.

In relationships, when someone is not feeling or experiencing love, their love tank begins drying up. Not only is that true in marriage, but psychologists are now suggesting that there may be a correlation between behavioural issues and children whose love tanks are empty. Now, there are a lot of different reasons why children misbehave. Often a lack of feeling loved has nothing to do with it, but this does underscore how crucial receiving and experiencing love is, regardless of our age!

I remember speaking on a similar topic years ago and a lady started sobbing audibly in the congregation. Afterwards, she told me that after almost forty years of hating her father for never loving her, she realized he’d poured love on her his entire life. His love language was acts of service; he showed love through serving, working and providing. She didn’t feel his love because her love tank was filled through words of affirmation—she needed someone to tell her she was loved and special.

This dad spent a lifetime showing his child a love that she didn’t feel. Imagine the difference if they had known each other’s love language!

We can love people with all our hearts, but if we don’t learn to speak their love language, how they feel and experience love, then we’re going to struggle in that relationship.

The more we understand and practice “speaking” each other’s love language, the better we’ll be at keeping each other feeling fueled up with love!