1 Corinthians 13:13 AMP
[13] And now there remain: faith [abiding trust in God and His promises], hope [confident expectation of eternal salvation], love [unselfish love for others growing out of God’s love for me], these three [the choicest graces]; but the greatest of these is love.
The three things mentioned in the verse above are quite fundamentally important to our journey of life. Faith, hope and love all impact our earthly and eternal life experience. How do these interact? At the foundation of my spiritual journey is faith. In fact, the bible says that without faith, it is impossible to please God. Faith is also part of the whole armour of God, which He has provided for our safety and protection. It is by grace that we have been saved through faith. We could not have come to the Lord by our own efforts and labour, and that is why God's enablement for me to come to Him has to be appreciated. His work of grace in my heart is the reason why I came to believe in Him and to trust Him with my life. That faith also leads to hope, which is the assurance I have that life will continue with God in eternity.
Whatever comes my way on my journey of faith, I have this amazing and indescribable hope that it will end well. Hope is also that factor that keeps you focused even when you do not understand the reason for your experiences. As the bible says, if only in this world we have hope, we are of all men most miserable. There has to be someone or something that keeps me hanging on, even when everything is falling to pieces around me. And then there is love. The only way to fully understand this is to go back to the points raised above about faith and hope. It was love that drew up the plan of salvation, as well as the foundation of the grace that made Jesus give up His life for me. It is impossible to explain love without the practical examples that Jesus had laid out for us. This is why love is seen as the greatest, because it is the physicial manifestation of the amazing love of the invisible God.
Faith and hope are quite critical to my journey, but they are first personal and internal, before their benefits can be seen on the outside, in the way I relate and interact with other people. I can make claims to faith, and I can have a cheery and happy disposition at all times, but love, as defined, designed and expressed by God cannot be faked. It is either that God is the One being made manifest through my actions or I am simply putting myself forward and seeking glory for myself. Love is the proof that my faith and hope are based on God. To the end of time, these three will remain. Until Jesus returns, these three will be relevant, but love is the person and manifestation of God. With it, I can never go wrong. Have you responded the right way to the love of God that has been offered to you? He waits; you do not have forever to make up your mind. God's time of favour is here.
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