LOVE’S ETERNAL QUALITY

…Love never fails – 1 Corinthians 13: 8

These final six verses discuss the temporary nature of the spiritual gifts and the eternal nature of love. The phrase “love never fails,” “love never ends” or “love never dies” (Message Bible) straddles between the long list of fifteen portraits of love and a summary statement in the final section of the Love Chapter. It seemed insufficient however to simply present the glorious uncompromising description of love. The apostle knew that there must be more to love than merely describing it. The greater purpose was for love to begin to impact the lives and ministries of the church in Corinth, where ‘self’ had become preeminent and the love of God had been replaced by carnal desires. The same remains God’s purpose today: for our lives and the Kingdom service to be positively impacted by the revelation of love.

Gifts are temporary but love is enduring and eternal. Prophecies will cease; tongues will be stilled; and knowledge will pass away, but love never fails. Love will stand the tests of time and eternity, and therefore be there to judge our lives. A time of perfection is coming when the gifts of the Spirit will no longer be necessary. Love will abide unto that time of perfection. However highly we might think of gifted people, love is what makes their gifts glitter and their spirituality sparkle. Those who do not allow love to control their hearts are bound to abuse or misuse their gifts.

Though love may produce many wonderful feelings, it is beyond feelings. Love is a COMMITMENT to unreservedly give of oneself to another or to others. Love that fails to endure was never love at all. If love suddenly becomes averse to a person’s personality, peculiarities, looks, endowments, or lack of these, then such a ‘love’ was merely infatuation, enchantment or lust. Genuine love will never fail because it does not give up; it cannot give up. Love abides (1 Cor. 13:13).

Love’s strength is not derived from what you see in a person but in your commitment to that person. Even if we accept that people fall in love, it a fallacy to say that people fall out of love. Real love doesn’t wane or stop, but grows brighter and more beauty by the day. Love is not ignorant of and does not discountenance life’s conflicts, difficulties, pressures, problems, pain, hurts, trials and troubles. Indeed, love thrives in these very adverse circumstances. They are the breeding ground of love!

It is wise to set our hearts on that which lasts. Love shall last forever. Let’s set our hearts on love!