“And now these 3 remain: Faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.” These were some of Paul’s words in his first letter to the Corinthians. It was in this time that the Christians in Corinth were wrestling with matters of the heart that prevented them from getting any traction spiritually and drove a wedge in their efforts to be united. The roadblocks stemmed from issues such as immorality and immaturity. Paul intended address, instruct and correct the young believers with 3 significant values he mentioned in 1 Corinthians 13:13. Faith, Hope and Love.
Looking closely at Paul’s words, the first point he highlights is that FAITH IS ESSENTIAL. This is also highlighted in Paul’s letter to the Hebrews (11:6) where he mentioned that “And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to Him must believe that God exists and that He rewards those who sincerely seek Him.” Faith is the factor that draws us closer to the Lord. To walk without seeing knowing that He is directing our steps. And it is in faith that we find the strength to inch closer, to rise again and to keep fighting even when the odds are stacked heavily against us. Why? Because it is faith that God lets us experience His power.
Now we look into the value of hope. Can you imagine a world void of hope? It would be expecting a dead end every time life would take a turn. This is a God given virtue in which through His grace allows us to overcome the most difficult of circumstances and gives a color to a daily monotony. It is through hope that we see victory through His strength in our daily battles.
And in everything, it is love that holds the virtues together. Love is the beginning and it goes even beyond Genesis 1:1. It is out of God’s great love that we are here. God’s love is made to manifest in faith and hope allows us to persevere in our faith. The love that comes from the Lord is that which we share and give to our neighbor. God’s love knows no boundaries; it continues to live no matter what the cost may be and is selfless. And because God is the template of love, this is how he intended that we show love to each other. It is through love that God is manifested in humanity.
As we continue to reflect on the love of the Lord, we slowly start to grasp the understanding that everything that God allows to happen is out of love. This in turn broadens our perspective when we face obstacles that we brand as “uncaring” or “unloving” in our limited human comprehension. And if we continue to fix our eyes on the Lord despite the challenges that we may encounter, this is where we see His will for us manifest in our lives. By observing to commune with the Lord, we are reminded daily that God is still in control even through any hardship and loss we may face along the way. And it is in this month of love, we continue to declare the same declaration Paul made in the latter portion of his first letter to the Corinthians, That May the grace of the Lord Jesus be with you and our love be with you all in Jesus Christ.
