And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity. (1 Corinthians 13:13)
In 1 Corinthians 13:13, the Apostle Paul taught about the three virtues that abide. The word abideth in the Greek is menó and means to stay, to remain, to dwell and to continue. These three virtues will continue forever and should remain in our lives as we become more like Jesus.
Faith, the first of the three virtues, is the start of our relationship with God. Faith is cultivated through hearing the Word regularly, receiving the Word of God immediately, believing that it is so, speaking what the Word says, and acting on God’s Word. Genuine faith is a confident and fervent trust in God’s promises and character. Our faith enables us to walk confidently in the assurance that God will always be faithful even when life is full of uncertainties.
Hope is staying in the attitude of constant, confident expectation. It is the outlook that even when you don’t see an answer immediately, you act as if you know He is doing something behind the scenes. You can tell a hopeful person by the countenance of their face and how they use their words. They have accepted the fact that God is preparing something for them.
Love, however, is the greatest or the largest and biggest of them all. Why? Because God is love. His Love compels us to love Him and love others. Love, however, is not a feeling. Love is a verb that is demonstrated in our actions. Our sacrificial acts of kindness, compassion, and selflessness are how we show God’s love to those in the family of God as well as those in the world.
Practical Application
How is your hope today? Hope is about our attitude and our outlook that focus more on the eternal perspective of God and not the natural perspective of our problems. In every circumstance, it is love that will compel you to reflect God’s heart.