Love - It's Greater than Faith and Hope

1 Corinthians 1(New International Version) 

If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.  It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears. When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me. For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror;then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.

And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

How are you loving others?

Are you patient with others?

Are you boastful or proud?

Do you keep a record of how you've been wronged, or do you forgive quickly?

Do you seek truth in a conflict, or do you seek to win in the conflict?

I have to constantly remind myself how to love others. Love can be hard, but when I use this truth from 1 Corinthians it reminds me of where I fall short and where I can improve. We will never be perfect in how we love until we get to Glory, but I think we should all keep on striving for perfect love.

Lord, thank you for Your perfect love. Thank you that you love me enough to die for me on The Cross. Please forgive me when I haven't loved others the way I should. and help me to follow Your guidelines for loving others. - In Jesus' Name ~ Amen.

For a deeper study:

Use your Bible Concordance or the web site biblegateway.com to look up verses on LOVE. Journal or discuss what God reveals to you in those verses.