This afternoon I was bored because I am not working and I live alone. No surprise there. SO, I went to a craft store, bought a canvas and paintbrushes, and began the piece you see to the right. Most of you know that the image of the anchor, cross, and heart is very dear to me, I have it tattooed on my body after all (picture compliments Ashley Karlen of Joye Photography). Some of you may not know what it stands for, though; faith, hope, & love.
"And now these three remain; faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love."
1 Corinthians 13:13
I have heard this verse constantly throughout my life and always took it at face value. Until today. Why is love the greatest? We are told to have faith, to rest in hope. Are they too not of great importance? As always, my curiosity got the best of me and I dug in deeper. The commentary in my study Bible reads "Love supersedes the gifts because it outlasts them all. Long after these sought-after gifts (wisdom, knowledge, faith, healing, etc.) are no longer necessary (when we are in Heaven), love will still be the governing principle that controls all that God and his redeemed people are and do."
I want you to think about that. Why would faith be necessary when we are united once and forever more with God? Why would we need to have hope when what we've had our hope in has come true? Love will never end, it was, it is, and it will always be. It is for these reasons that love is the greatest of the three. Jesus after all is the embodiment of God's love for his children. True, he came to bring hope and inspire faith, but he is love.
What implications does this hold for our lives then? Does it mean that we stop hoping and having faith? NO! Absolutely not! I think that it indicates (and the Bible does agree) that everything should be done out of a spirit of love. "Do everything in love." 1 Corinthians 16:14. From love will spring hope and faith, for us and those around us. Focus on love. Rest in God's vast and embracing love. It will not fail you.
Faith, Hope & Love
Mountains
As I am reading the chapter on beauty in Captivating, an interesting thought is forming in my mind. The authors quote "The soul's inclination to love beauty is the trap God most frequently uses in order to win it." And my first thought was about mountains. To me, mountains are God's most beautiful landscape, cloaked in graceful trees swaying in the soft breeze and teeming with creatures of all shapes and sizes which capture the heart of all who venture but a step into their world. I would wager that I am not alone in this great reverence of the majesty and beauty of mountain ranges. In fact, I believe them to be the most alluring of places for most men. So are men attracted to the mountains solely for the adventure they promise, or is it first and foremost for the extravagant beauty they are able to experience when exploring the depths of the mountain?
I am beginning to think that it must be the beauty that first draws him in, or in the end wins him over. The taste of the crisp air, the symphony created by the living creatures, the remarkable sunrises, and the sense of wonder and awe that are instantly felt upon the journey upward. Mountains themselves provide not only their own beauty, but also a ladder, a better view to the rest of God's beautiful and boundless artwork. So, next time you venture to the mountains, ask yourself "is it the adventure or beauty that truly captures and wins my heart?"