Bible Verse:
"And now these three remain: faith, hope, and love. Yet the greatest is love." - 1 Corinthians 13:13
Devotional Message:
Well, love is actually the essence of our Christian faith and is foundational to our relationship with God and people. In 1 Corinthians 13:13, the Apostle Paul exalts love above faith and hope because love is eternal and incomparable. However much faith links us to God and hope keeps us going, love is an expression that carries along with it the nature of God in our lives.
God showed the greatest expression of love by sending His Son, Jesus Christ, to die for our sins (John 3:16). And this propitiatory love charges us to love one another deeply, not in word, but in deed and truth (1 John 3:18). Love is patient, kind, forgiving, and enduring; it is the fruit of the Spirit-filled life and the hallmark of the true disciple.
Love, to believers, is not to be selective or conditional. Jesus taught us to love our enemies, pray for those who persecute us, and show undeserved kindness (Matthew 5:44). Love like that changes hearts, heals relationships, and draws people to God.
Today, as we pray, let us ask ourselves this: Am I showing God's love in my everyday life? With a smile, a kind word, or even serving others-may love be behind everything that is done. "And when we love, we are fulfilling God's greatest commandment-to love Him with all our hearts and to love our neighbors as ourselves" (Matthew 22:37-39).
Prayer:
Heavenly Father, we thank You that in Your Son Jesus Christ, You showed us what love is. Fill our hearts with Your Spirit so that we too may learn to love others as You have loved us. Teach us to be forbearing, kind, and forgiving though it hurts. Flash out Your love through us, attracting people to You. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen
