St. Paul wrote letters beautifully to his friends, especially after establishing Christian communities. This is what he did to his friends in Corinth, Greece, a city with a population of 90,000 and a culture rich in Greek mythology.

If I viewed Paul as a sports coach, I will see he presented his best possible game plan in I Corinthians 13 — love! Why? Because love changes individuals, communities, and thereby the world.

Yet, Paul ties love to faith and hope, becoming the elite trifecta and making it possible to live life to the maximum potential. Faith and hope are like tires to a car or the rudder and anchor to a ship. These three graces are certainties that are enduring, imperishable, immortal. 

Astonishingly, all our present modes of comprehension and communication are transient. Our current knowledge, amassing facts, creeps along from point to point. In heaven we will have new experiences, new methods of communication. Today’s will drop away, although they have often become our lives’ main activity.

So then, what will last? Paul says faith, breeding hope, and love. Love is the greatest because it is from God’s inexhaustible wealth. It is the most valuable, not only because it will endure forever, but because it is important to our relationship with God and the welfare of others. Even all of our superior attainments and championships today do not last forever.

That is why I put my faith in the One who gave His life for me. Even when the day arrives when I take my last breath, I will say without reservation Jesus Christ is my hope anchor. I love Him because He first loved me.

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