“And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.”

— 1 Corinthians 13:13

Faith. What a magnificent thing it is to have faith in God. Faith lifts us to new heights. Do you believe that God is with you, that He will never leave you, that He will help you, that He will turn everything for your good? What a tremendous difference to know that you’re a child of the King, a member of the House Royal; that you will live forever; and that God will do great things through you.

Hope. How marvelous to have hope. Do you have the confidence that God will accomplish His perfect plan in your life and that He’ll bring you to Paradise to live with Him forever? That hope destroys the dark gray cloud that obscures your pathway, and it opens the view to your destination: the glorious, radiant, setting sun that will give way to that new and eternal morning of Paradise.

Love. Who is your best friend in this world? You probably cherish most the person who brings out your best. As the sonnet says:

I love you not for what you are but for what you are helping me to become Overlooking my faults and reaching down into my heaped-up heart And making of the lumber of my life, not a tavern, but a cathedral.

When others help us reach our potential, we know they love us, and in return we love them.

Faith, hope, and love produce a joyful life. As we cultivate faith, hope, and love in our Lord, He gives us joy. I encourage you to memorize Scriptures on faith, hope, and love and to speak those verses back to the Lord in prayer. Sing His praises in your daily worship. As you do these things, He’ll bring His joy into your life.

“Joy is prayer—joy is strength—joy is love—
joy is a net of love by which you can catch souls.”
Mother Teresa