Love

Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians that three things remain: faith, hope, and love; "The greatest of which, is love." As a child, I always wondered why love was the greatest of the three. In Sunday School, I can clearly remember being taught that unless we had faith in Jesus Christ as our personal Lord and Savior, we could never go to heaven. And let me tell you, as a kid growing up in church, heaven was my only and ultimate goal.

In fact, when the book series Left Behind was published I got the kids version. Upon reading the first five volumes of the series, I came to a point where I couldn't even sleep at night because I was so scared the rapture would happen during the night and I would get left behind! It was really bad. Whenever I would call my mom or dad and they wouldn't answer, the first thing that immediately came to my mind was that the rapture had taken place and I was left to 'fend for myself. Thus in my mind, faith certainly had to be the greatest of the three.

Yet I clearly remember a little plaque-like wood cut-out in the entry way of my childhood home saying exactly what Paul had written and yet again proclaiming love as the greatest of the three. I asked my mother as to the accuracy of this statement and she only seemed to confirm it, yet I don't remember an explanation to satisfy my curiosity.

Then I began to wonder why hope hadn't made the cut. In Colossians, Paul calls Jesus the Hope of Glory. Jesus himself is referred to as our only hope, yet not even that is greater then love? How could some emotions you feel towards your boyfriend or wife or uncle be the greatest of these three? I wondered this because I didn't know what love was.

Paul goes through an entire list in 1 Corinthians 13 as to what love does, "Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered. Love keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil, but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always perseveres. Love never fails."

Thus when you tell someone you love them, you should be summarizing your actions not your emotions. If you really love that person, you are going to show it through your actions and not your words. You'll show it by being patient and kind and never being jealous, boastful, proud or rude. You'll show it by keeping their best interests at your heart and by being slow to get angry with them. You'll show it by not remembering what all they've done wrong to you. And God is love. So these are the characteristics or attributes of who God is.

Or you'll at least attempt to do those things. Trust me, I know it can be tough to constantly do all those things with everyone you come across. Yet, Jesus tells us to do it. And he doesn't give us an excuse not to do it. He tells us not just to love God, but to love our neighbor as ourself. Oh how difficult it is to love those who don't love you. Yet, where is the reward in loving someone who loves you? "Even sinners do that." As believers in Christ, we should be known by the love we show. Are you known by the love you show? Will you leave a legacy of love?

Back to my opening statement, love truly is the greatest of the three. Why? Faith is, by definition, having complete trust in something. The Bible clearly says that without repentance of sins and faith in Jesus as our Savior, we cannot enter into eternity with Him. Hope, by definition, is to desire with expectation of obtainment or to expect with confidence. Once we have faith in Jesus Christ, we then put our hope in Him. In the 1 Corinthian chapter on love, Paul tells us that God is love. God is eternal and thus so is love. When we get to heaven, faith and hope will be fulfilled. However, love will be what we bask in for all eternity. Thus love truly is the greatest of the three for it will last for all eternity.

Love: it's so much more then just a word. It's more then just a feeling or an emotion. Love is action. Love is commitment. Love is active and continuous. Love is a decision. Love is eternal. I challenge you to love today. Love someone who doesn't love you. And keep loving them.