3 Things To Live By

I read something great this morning in The Message. The last few verses in 1Corinthians 13:

"We don't yet see things clearly. We're squinting in a fog, peering through a mist. But it won't be long before the weather clears and the sun shines bright! We'll see it all then, see it all as clearly as God sees us, knowing him directly just as he knows us!

But for right now, until that completeness, we have three things to do to lead us toward that consummation: Trust steadily in God, hope unswervingly, love extravagantly. And the best of the three is love."

I have read these verses many times in other translations and heard them even more...isn't it amazing how familiarity allows you to gloss over a great message. Faith, hope and love...and the greatest is love...yeah, yeah, yeah. But, the Word of God is alive and active and this morning it got me. We have three things to do....this is obviously important, a direct command, a narrowing-down of seemingly endless duties. First we must trust steadily....steadily trust....in God. Then hope....lose hope and you die. Then love extravagantly....man, extravagantly...it seemed much more attainable when it was just little love at the end of the list....faith, hope and love. But, to love extravagantly is something different entirely. And not only that, it is the best of the three...love is the greatest.