The Final Call to Love

And now these three remain: faith, hope, and love; but the greatest of these is love.
– 1 Corinthians 13:13


Paul concludes his great chapter on love with a striking declaration: among all the enduring spiritual gifts, love is the greatest. Faith anchors us. Hope sustains us. But love defines us. Love is the clearest expression of God’s character and the clearest mark of Christ in us.

Love is what remains when all else fades. It’s what carries us through conflict, lifts us above pride, and bridges the gaps between us. In a world fractured by differences—and even within a Church marked by division—love is what binds, heals, and endures.

But this love is not vague or passive. It is patient, kind, not self-seeking. It keeps no record of wrongs. It rejoices in truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, and endures all things (1 Corinthians 13:4–7). That is the kind of love we are called to, not only toward those who agree with us but especially toward those who don’t.

As we close this devotional, let us remember: love is not just the greatest virtue. It is our greatest calling. Let love be what remains—in our conversations, in our disagreements, in our daily life as followers of Jesus. Because in the end, what we believe will matter far less than how we have loved.


Questions

1. How has your understanding of Christian love deepened over the past 30 days?

2. In what relationships is God calling you to live out this kind of love more fully?

3. What will you carry forward from this devotional as you seek to follow Jesus in community?


Suggested Activity

Write a short prayer or note of encouragement to someone who has challenged your love and patience in the past. Speak a word of blessing over them, either directly or privately. Make a commitment to let love be your first and last response.


Prayer

Lord God, 

Of all the gifts You’ve given, love is the one that lasts. It is what brought You to the cross. It is what brought me to You. Let love shape who I am—how I speak, how I listen, how I treat others, especially within Your body. Teach me to love well. May faith ground me, may hope sustain me, but may love guide me—always.

In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.

-

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