“But now faith, hope, and love remain, these three; but the greatest of these is love.”
The “love chapter” ends with Paul circling back and doubling down on the main point. He acknowledges the “big three”, FAITH, HOPE, AND LOVE - but says the greatest of these is LOVE. Understanding this is essential if you desire to be an effective Christian.
Faith that moves mountains, but has no love, is nothing. Working miracles is inconsequential if the motivation is wrong. If the source is not love – the work is unauthentic. Likewise, Hope, without love is futile. That combination produces self-centered egomaniacs convinced they can manipulate things with their mindset. They are dreamers with positive attitudes that have no foundation.
Love is the game changer. Love empowers my “faith and hope” and enables me to glorify God. Since I was created for that purpose, that changes everything. Christ has given me FAITH, and that provides HOPE. But the gift that is eternal, the gift that all others are measured by, is LOVE.
So, the question today is, do we have it backwards, are we chasing the wrong things?
Are we pursuing positivity and FAITH - with the HOPE that it will make others LOVE us? Do we add love to our routine to justify our self-promotion, doing what we want and throwing a little love in to make it palatable?
Love must be more than that. It must overwhelm us. Not the sappy Hallmark depiction of love, but the powerful, compelling love displayed by Christ on the Cross. Sacrificial and overpowering, it is the strongest motivation on earth. If love does not consume you, then it isn’t love.
You can act without love, but you cannot love without action. Don’t just agree with the statement, be changed by it. Love demands action, so do something. Call today and forgive that person who hurt you so deeply… give some money to that family struggling with finances… spend time with your friend who is lonely. Abandon your egocentric plans and chase after the heart of God. God gives many gifts, but “The greatest of these is love”. And the only thing of lasting importance you will do today is to love God so much that it motivates you to love His children.
“Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.”
- God (1 John 4:8)
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