What would it be like to be one of the greatest? Being a great fan of sports, athletes today are compared to "the greatest of all times": Muhamud Ali and boxing, Michael Jordan with basketball, Brett Farve in football, Tiger Woods and golf, Billy Graham and world evangelism...
The apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians give us another measure of greatness, one that we all can, or should, strive for in life. He starts it off by saying: "And now I will show you the most excellent way." (1 Cor. 12:31), and ends it all by saying: "And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love." (1 Cor. 13:13)
As a pastor, I try to instill faith in people each week. Without faith it's impossible to please God (Hebrews 11:6), and faith comes through the the teaching of God's Word (Romans 10:17). Faith is a vital part of a growing believers life... but according to Paul, it's not the greatest thing.
Hope... is an anchor to our soul (Hebrews 6:19), and hope enlarges our faith and our lives (2 Corinthians 10:15). But this too is not the greatest thing.
So why is love the greatest thing? Why not faith or hope? I believe it's because if we possess love in great measure, or increase in our ability to love, faith and hope will increase as well.
The Old Testament demonstrates the limitation of man's ability to serve God based on faith or hope. God showed Himself faithful to us regardless of the circumstances. They waivered in their faith and lost hope; and had a difficulty in really understanding and embracing God. But when Jesus Christ died on the cross, it demonstrated the greatest act of love that God could ever have for us; and this unlocked a greater depth of faith and hope in the heart of mankind.
The Bible tells us a very important key to this: 1 John 4:8 "He who does not love does not know God, for God is love." God isn't defined as faith, or even hope... but God is love. When we love, we activate the power of our faith in God and our hope is not easily disappointed.
How do I find faith in myself or others? How can I continue to hope for the best in my life and others? As I grow in my love for God, His love will impact my life and the way I interact with those around me. This is the greatest thing...
Love the Lord your God will all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. this is the first commandment. And the second, like it, is this: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. There is no commandment greater than these. Mark 12:30,31
No comments:
Post a Comment