The one supreme, greatest thing in the world is love. No matter what other abilities and qualities we may possess, how profound our knowledge, how great our achievements, if we do not have love, none of these is of any value. If we have love, it adds the extra quality of greatness to our lives.
Chapter 13 in 1 Corinthians gives us a magnificent description of love. Love, we are told, is long-suffering and kind. It has no envy, no egotism. It never acts in an unseemly fashion; it has no evil thoughts; it is steadfast and loyal and endures to the end. Love “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” (1 Corinthians 13:5-7).
Other things pass away, but love has the element of eternity. Love deepens and sharpens our insights and understanding; it stimulates growth and makes us mature. It is the one sure way in which we can clearly comprehend life and its deeper mysteries. When we love, we will have an understanding of life. When we do not love, we only know a part, not understanding life as a whole. The clouded mirror of life will clear up when we truly love. Three great words stand out supreme above all others: faith, hope and love. “But the greatest of these is love” (1 Corinthians 13:13).
If we learn to love as Christ loved, we become masters of life; if we fail at this, nothing else really matters.
