“Love never fails; but if there are gifts of prophecy, they will be done away; if there are tongues, they will cease; if there is knowledge, it will be done away.”
I Corinthians 3:8
And how could it? How could love fail? In light of all that it is It is patient and humble, and kind, and content, and acts appropriately, and is selfless, and calm, and forgiving, and finds no joy in evil but rejoices in righteous truth, and bears all things, and believes all things, and hopes all things, and endures all things. Of course, it shall not fail!
Love prevails as God prevails for God is love. Love lives eternally as God lives eternally for God is love. Love is long-suffering and perseveres as God does for God is love. Love is the "perfect" that all Christians should daily strive for. Where love is, God is, and where God is, is where every Christian should desire and will and work to be. Love never fails.
Love is contrasted with spiritual gifts. “Love” is actually used here as an illustration/comparison. The Holy Spirit wants brethren to be informed that the miraculous spiritual gifts present in the first-century church will “fail”, they will “cease”, and they will “be done away”. By contrast, we can understand what is meant by love not “failing”. Sometimes, in our hearts, love does cease. It is done away with. It does fail. But that is not love failing us, that is us failing love. Our choice to stop, quit, or give up. When love has left our hearts, how can a relationship endure?
But therein lies the problem. Love doesn’t leave. If it’s not there, it’s because we are not choosing it. We are not doing what needs to be done in the relationship for love to thrive. We are missing qualities like patience or kindness and selflessness or humility. When we choose these virtues and choose love, then love will fill our hearts and lives, and relationships. Love will flourish and will not fail.
Are you cultivating love in your relationships? Sometimes people fail to love us as they should. But that is them failing, not love. And when they do fail, then we are needed all the more to step up and love as we should. Are you cultivating love in your marriage or with your children/parents or with your siblings, etc? If you feel like love is failing please examine that carefully and see where you might be failing love. In Corinth, that was the problem. The people/brethren/Christians were failing love. Love is the more excellent way. More excellent than miraculous spiritual gifts. For love never fails.
Comments