I’m almost done going through 1 Corinthians 13, and today I’m going to share an important thought: charity is forever. Love is forever.
Love gets a bad rep nowadays. Marriages fail, relationships end, and sometimes we wonder if love’s even real. If maybe it’s only temporary.
But God’s love is real, and His charity is forever.
Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away. For we know in part, and we prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.
– 1 Corinthians 13:8-10
Never faileth
God’s love doesn’t end. He’s loved us from the beginning of time and will love us till the end of time. He loves us when we mess up. When we’re at our worst. Even when we ignore Him.
God IS love (1 John 4:8). Every thing He does comes from a place of love. Even making us face the consequences of our actions. Let’s face it, in those consequences is often when we learn the most.
The problem isn’t God’s love. It’s our ability to mimic that love. As humans, we tend to run at the first sign of trouble. Or we give up because we’re tired and we feel like our efforts don’t matter. But God is always there waiting, giving us one more chance.
God’s love is our model. We’ll never fully reach it, but that doesn’t give us an excuse not to try.
They shall fail
When prophecies are fulfilled, they’re no longer our future. They become the past. But’s God love will always be past, present, and future.
Languages die, like Latin. We don’t even speak the same English our forefathers spoke. We have different slang words, we have new words, and we’ve gotten rid of words. But God’s love never dies and never changes.
Even knowledge has an end. How many times have we been taught something only for scholars to come back and say it’s wrong? How many times have we learned something just to forget it? But’s God love is eternal. God’s knowledge is perfect.
We have scripture to show us fulfilled prophecies. By reading it, we see how God has worked in marvelous, wonderful ways. We know He’s the Almighty and that Jesus is His Son. But we still have prophecies that aren’t fulfilled. There are still things we don’t know. But God does. We may never know the outcome, but we know we can trust the One Who does.
That which is in part shall be done away
The law was only in part. It could never redeem us on its own. And then Jesus came. He was perfect. He had the ability to completely redeem us. And the law was done away. Even this Earth is only in part. Our bodies are only in part. One day we will be in Heaven with a perfect world and a perfect body. This world may come to an end, but God never does.
Final thoughts
Charity is forever because God is forever. His love is our model for how we should treat others. So this week’s challenge is to offer more forgiveness. If you feel like giving up and walking away, stay instead. I’m not encouraging toxic relationships. I’m just saying to remember love is shown in different ways, one of which is to offer forgiveness. Sometimes God calls us out of a person’s life, but we can still show them kindness when we cross their path.
If you haven’t yet, check out my previous post A Look at Charity Pt. 4: The Behavior of Charity.
