Day 9
Love makes good impressions
Greet one another with a kiss of love. —1 Peter 5:14
Kings bow while soldiers salute. Acquaintances wave while friends shake hands. And families embrace while lovers kiss. Greetings provide us with dynamic ways to encounter one another and show appropriate affection and respect. Each greeting depends upon the nature and closeness of each relationship.
Did you know that you can tell a lot about the current status of a couple’s marriage by the way they greet one another? You can see it in her smile, hear it in his voice, and sense it in the tenderness of their touch. Or lack thereof.
A greeting can be a litmus test for relational health. Think about it: What do you and your mate reveal about your relationship, simply by how you greet one another? Is it caring? Or is it callous? Do your greetings cause your spouse to look forward to seeing you?
Some people don’t greet warmly because they feel insincere. They claim, “I’m being true to how I feel inside.” But there are many good reasons to be kind even when feelings are contrary—love being the greatest reason of all. While greetings can reflect what’s currently happening in a relationship, they can also become a loving investment in its future health.
Throughout history, the Jewish people demonstrated an understanding of the power of an effective greeting. Used more than two hundred times in the Bible, the word shalom (meaning peace or tranquility) was a word intentionally employed to greet others. They used it to say, “Have a long life, peace be to you, and peace be to your house, and peace be to all that you have” (1 Samuel 25:6). This word, still used today, reveals how a daily greeting can be turned into a dynamic blessing.
You don’t have to say “Shalom” when greeting your mate, but sharing a strong, five-second greeting each day with your spouse can become a long-term blessing to your relationship. Your greeting should say, “You are priceless to me,” rather than, “You are tolerated by me.”
Jesus noted that even pagans speak kindly to people they like. That’s easy for anyone to do. But God’s children, He said, are meant to be humble and gracious enough to address even their enemies with kindness.
This raises the question: How do you greet your friends, coworkers, and neighbors? How about acquaintances you see in public? You may even encounter someone you don’t necessarily like and yet still acknowledge them out of courtesy.
So if you’re this polite to others, doesn’t your spouse deserve the same? Times ten?
It can be as simple as what you say when you wake up in the morning, the look on your face when you get in the car, the energy in your voice when you’re on the phone. Consider the difference it would make in your spouse’s day if everything about you expressed the fact that you were really, really glad to see them.
A good greeting sets the stage for positive, healthy interaction. Like love, it makes a person feel valued and puts wind in their sails for better moments ahead.
Think back to the story Jesus told of the prodigal son. This young, rebellious man demanded his inheritance money and then wasted it on a foolish lifestyle. But soon his poor choices caught up with him, and he found himself eating scraps in a pigpen. Humbled and ashamed, he practiced his apologies before going home to face his father. But the greeting he anticipated was not the one he received. “While he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion for him, and ran and embraced him and kissed him” (Luke 15:20).
This greeting was likely the last thing the son expected. But how do you think it made him feel to receive his father’s embrace and hear his thankful tone? Overwhelmed. Deeply loved. Treasured again. What do you think it did to their relationship?
What kind of greetings would cause your mate to feel like that? How could you excite his or her senses with a kinder word, a more affectionate touch, and a more gracious tone of voice? A loving greeting is a gift you can give your spouse every day by what they see, hear, and feel. It is priceless in value while costing you nothing.
Think of the opportunities you’re given to greet each other on a regular basis. When coming in the door. When meeting for lunch. When saying goodnight. When talking or texting on the phone. It doesn’t have to be bold and dramatic every time. But adding warmth and enthusiasm gives you the chance to touch your mate’s heart in unexpected ways.
Countless widows and widowers could tell us with tears in their eyes what it would mean for them to have one more chance to greet, kiss, and hold their spouses again. Since we each have no guarantee of tomorrow, every new day with our spouse is a gift from God for us to cherish and enjoy.
Think about your greeting. Do you use it well? Does your spouse feel appreciated? Do they feel loved? Even when you’re not getting along too well, you can lessen the tension and help turn things around by the way you bless them when you greet them. Remember, love is a choice. So choose to love them at “Hello!”
TODAY'S DARE
Think of a specific way you’d like to greet your spouse today. Do it with a smile and with enthusiasm. Then determine to change your greeting to daily reflect more love for them.
____ Check here when you’ve completed today’s dare.
When and where did you choose to do your special greeting? How did your mate respond to it? How will you change your greeting from this point on?
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