I Corinthians 13:13 (NLT)
Three things will last forever—faith, hope,
and love—and the greatest of these is love.
The
number three represents completeness.
God exists as three persons--God the Father, God the Son, and God the
Holy Spirit. Jesus was tempted three
times. Peter denied Jesus three
times. Jesus asked Peter ‘Do you love
Me?” three times. Mankind has three
components--body, soul, and spirit. Time
has three components--past, present, and future. Space has three dimensions--length, width,
and depth. Human capability has three
components--thoughts, words, and deeds.
God has three main enemies—the world, flesh, and devil. People are tempted in three main ways---lust
of the eyes, lust of the flesh, and the boastful pride of life (I John
2:16). We often repeat words three times
to emphasize a point or a question (e.g. are you sure, are you sure, are you
sure?).
Faith,
hope, and love are the three greatest words in life. They describe the three descriptions of the
grace of God that last forever. Faith is
the starting point. Faith gives you
light to have hope. Hope is a positive
word that allows you to demonstrate love.
Love is the pinnacle of these virtues.
Is it possible to love another and to be loved without faith and
hope? Ponder that question for
awhile. Think about your relationship with
a loved one. Your faith in him/her
saying/doing/accomplishing something might not always come true. Your hope that your loved one might
say/do/accomplish something might not come true. But, your love of that person will always be
true.
On
the topic of “threes”, here is a list of trilogies that describe other aspects
of life’s truths:
On the topic of “threes”, here is a list of trilogies
that describe other aspects of life’s truths[1]:
Three things that once gone, never return: Time, Words, Opportunity
Three things that can destroy a person: Anger, Pride, Unforgiveness
Three things you should never lose: Hope, Peace, Honesty
Three things that are never certain: Fortune, Success, Dreams
Three things that make a person: Commitment, Sincerity,
Hard Work
Three things that are most valuable: Love, Family and Friends, Kindness
Ty Lacy and Kevin Stokes wrote a song about faith, hope
and love recorded by Point of Grace[2]. Here is their refrain:
“Faith, hope and love is
more than enough when times get tough.
Faith, hope and love will tunnel through what's in front of you. If you just trust in faith, hope and love”
Reflect
on these words. Better still, listen to
the actual song, as you deepen your thoughts about the grace of God through His
faith, hope, and love given to you. How
can you increase your faith, hope, and love for God and for those closest to you?
[1] Found on dozens of websites, search
by “three things in life” or “three things in life that once gone never come
back”
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