Love Never Fails

-March 17, 2022-

Good morning, happy Thursday,

“[Love] bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails…”

(1Corinthians 13:7-8a).

The sweetest, most beautiful virtue is love. God’s love is unconditional, unfailing, and unending. The Greek word for God’s love is agape. John, the disciple whom Jesus loved, wrote, “And we have known and believed the love that God has for us, God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him” (1 John 4:16). Just as He loves us, we must love one another.

Today’s verse shows that love has the quality of continuance and permanence. Love keeps going when all else fails. Love never fails. Paul uses four words to describe this wonderful love: bears, believes, hopes, and endures. Love is strong as it is beautiful and fragrant. The rose is both beautiful and fragrant, yet it also has a thorn. Love overcomes adversity, pain, and sorrow; it keeps on shining.

• Love bears all things – Love thinks of others first, and is happiest in giving, sharing, sacrificing, and sharing. It puts up with the idiosyncrasies and failures of others. Paul wrote in Galatians 6:2, “Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.” Love lifts up others.

•Love believes all things – Love brings out the best in others by believing in them. Love is positive, and gives others a second chance, a third chance, and many more chances. God gives us so many chances. Love is not naïve, but loves in spite of it all. Love forgives time and time again. None of us are perfect.

•Love hopes all things – Love accepts the past, lives in the present, and looks to the future. The sun will shine tomorrow, things will get better. Love smiles at the future, even when there is nothing to smile about in the present. Paul wrote in Romans 8:28, “And we know that all things work together for good, to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.” Love sees the rainbow in the midst of the rain.

•Love endures all things – Love keeps on keeping on; It never quits. It endures what it is given without complaint. Loving others isn’t easy nor is it always fair. Love is patient. Love truly never fails. Like an well-conditioned athlete, it gets stronger by daily training.

May the Lord help us to love others with His eternal love. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, and endures all things. Those two little words are so challenging: “all things.” Love never fails.

Have a blessed day growing in and showing love to the lovable and unlovable. Stay safe and healthy.

In His eternal, unfailing love,

Dean