Three things will last forever—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love. 1 Corinthians 13:13
If you have spent much time studying Scripture and attending church, you know that love is one of the defining characteristics of God, and you also know that followers of Jesus are called to show love. We will dive deep into this call to love throughout this week, but today we will step back and ask the question, “Why?” Why are we called to love? After all, when we know why, we will be more motivated to obey this command from Jesus and show His love to the world around us.
The Apostle Paul wrote about love in 1 Corinthians 13. He wrote, “If I could speak all the languages of earth and of angels, but didn’t love others, I would only be a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal” (verse 1). He then explains that if he had the gifts of prophecy, knowledge, and faith but did not have love, he would be “nothing” (verse 3). Pause here. These are strong statements from Paul! After all, prophecy, knowledge, and faith are very important, but without love, they are nothing. He continued by saying that if he gave away everything he had to those in need but did not have love he would have “gained nothing” (verse 3). Clearly, Paul understood that love is to be a motivating factor behind everything we do. You and I can give away all of our possessions to someone in need, but if we lack love for our neighbor, giving does not mean anything. On the other hand, when we live our lives with love, it makes all the difference.
Finally, in this chapter, Paul explained why love is vital for followers of Jesus. Look at what he taught at the end of 1 Corinthians 13. Three things will last forever—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love. Why is love the greatest of these things? Why is love so important? One day, the followers of Christ will not need faith because their faith will become sight when they experience eternal life. Similarly, the follower of Christ will not need hope because their hope will be realized when they step into eternity with Him forever. On the other hand, love will always be necessary because the follower of Christ will always need to express and receive love on earth and in eternity.
My friend, the call to love God and the people around us is vital. In fact, we can do so many great things with our lives, but if we do not have love, those things will not mean much. So, will you live up to this calling to love God and every person around you?
Take out your journal or notebook and evaluate how you love the people around you. Are you living and leading with love, or have you found yourself quick to get angry or judge the people around you? Even if you feel that you are showing love to the people around you, there are always ways that you and I can grow. So how can you grow in loving the people around you with the love of God this week?
1 Corinthians 13:8-13 (NLT)
"Prophecy and speaking in unknown languages and special knowledge will become useless. But love will last forever! 9 Now our knowledge is partial and incomplete, and even the gift of prophecy reveals only part of the whole picture! 10 But when the time of perfection comes, these partial things will become useless.
11 When I was a child, I spoke and thought and reasoned as a child. But when I grew up, I put away childish things. 12 Now we see things imperfectly, like puzzling reflections in a mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity. All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God now knows me completely.
13 Three things will last forever—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love."
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