Love Never Fails
Suppose I speak in
the languages of human beings and of angels. If I don't have love, I am only a
loud gong or a noisy cymbal. Suppose I have the gift of prophecy. Suppose I can
understand all the secret things of God and know everything about him. And
suppose I have enough faith to move mountains. If I don't have love, I am
nothing at all. Suppose I give everything I have to poor people. And suppose I
give my body to be burned. If I don't have love, I get nothing at all.
Love is patient. Love
is kind. It does not want what belongs to others. It does not brag. It is not
proud. It is not rude. It does not look out for its own interests. It does not
easily become angry. It does not keep track of other people's wrongs.
Love is not happy
with evil. But it is full of joy when the truth is spoken. It always protects.
It always trusts. It always hopes. It never gives up.
Love never fails. But
prophecy will pass away. Speaking in languages that had not been known before
will end. And knowledge will pass away.
What we know now is
not complete. What we prophesy now is not perfect. But when what is perfect
comes, the things that are not perfect will pass away.
When I was a child, I
talked like a child. I thought like a child. I had the understanding of a
child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me.
Now we see only a dim
likeness of things. It is as if we were seeing them in a mirror. But someday we
will see clearly. We will see face to face. What I know now is not complete.
But someday I will know completely, just as God knows me completely.
The three most
important things to have are faith, hope and love. But the greatest of them is
love.
1
Corinthians 13:1-13
Ponder God’s love in
Christ. Take the time to reflect on how He gave His life for us. Read about Him
in the Gospels, and thank Him. Pray for the love of God. Ask Him to give you an
understanding of his love and to teach you how to live that out in your relationships
with your spouse and others.
Practice the love of
God. Give of yourself. Try to make life easier for your spouse. And there is a
tough love side, as well. Challenge each other to act in godly ways.Love will grow when we ponder love, pray for love, and
practice love. As Christ’s love grows in us, His love flows from us.
Our Daily Bread –