Love is the greatest
1 Corinthians 13:13
And now abide in faith, hope and love, but the greatest of these three is love.
1 Corinthians chapter 13 is often regarded as the “love” chapter and for good reason. It starts by saying that without love, our actions do not matter. Then starting from verse four, it describes what love truly is. Then the chapter ends by listing three virtues: faith, hope and love. However, out of those three, love is truly the strongest because it perfectly describes God.
The main reason why love is the greatest out of faith and hope, is that love will carry on to the end of our life in heaven. Once we enter the presence of God, our faith will be our eyes and our hope will be answered. Love will still remain, because we will bask in God’s glory for eternity.
With love comes sacrifice and no one displayed that better than Jesus Christ. He left the holiness of heaven to be among us. He endured the same weaknesses and temptations that we struggle through on a daily basis. He lived the perfect life and then gave that life on the cross to atone for our sins. His gift of love is eternal salvation. Without His love, we have no purpose.
In the same way, we must show that kind of sacrificial love to others. Whether it’s to our significant other, our closest friends, or even a complete stranger. Jesus wants us to love one another. He also wants us to love Him with all of our heart, mind, soul and strength. He wants a relationship with us.
Our God cares about us so deeply, He conquered death itself to be with us. That kind of love should impact our hearts and motivate us. Our love should be patient, kind and rejoicing in truth. The truth that Jesus loves everyone and desires all of us to be with Him at the end.
This week, pray about how you can love others in your local community. Reach out to someone who needs the grace of God and support them with encouragement. Ask God into your heart, so you can receive the same undying, unconditional love.