A pastor of a small country church asked one of the deacons to pray. The deacon was a farmer, and he said this, “Lord, I don’t like flour, and I don’t care much for milk or lard….” The pastor peered out at the deacon, wondering where he was going with this prayer. The deacon continued, “but if you combine the three, it makes biscuits, and I love biscuits.” Three key ingredients make biscuits, and three key ingredients make a good Christian.
1 Corinthians 13:13
“Now these three remain: faith, hope, and love — but the greatest of these is love.”
What Every Believer Needs
First Corinthians chapter thirteen is known as the love chapter. It gives us the best definition of what Agape love looks like. At the end of the chapter, Paul tells us that three key ingredients need to remain faith, hope, and love. These make up what every believer needs to navigate the treacherous waters of this world. You need faith because you have to trust the Lord for everything. Hope is what we look forward to, and our destination is most glorious. The greatest of these is love. You need the love of the Lord to love others.
Strengthen and Support
Trying to function without these three foundational traits is foolish. When we rely upon ourselves and don’t show love toward others, we will eventually lose hope. These three work together to strengthen and support every believer. They become real when we lean into them and we see God working. Don’t go it alone.
Three Key Ingredients
Romans 5:5 tells us that the Holy Spirit pours love into our hearts when we start to follow Jesus. He gives us the love we need to feel content and love one another. When we extend the love of Jesus to those who don’t deserve it, we show Jesus to the world in the most effective way. Ask the Lord to pour His love into your heart right now. Let it penetrate areas you have closed off in the past. Then become a receptacle of love to flow into you and out to others.