These are the planks upon which Christianity stands:
Faith – When everything else falls apart, faith sustains us –
faith that God loves us, faith that God is in control.
Hope – Hope is the
anticipation of a good ending. When everything around us looks bleak and
hopeless,
how is it that Christians can have such
a joyful outlook and hope for the future”
It’s because we have the guidebook. We
know the end of the story.
Love – The heart of the Christian gospel is love. We are
called to love God supremely and to love our neighbor
as we love ourselves. That is the essence of the Christian message. God wants
us to know and to offer the agape love as Paul describes
it. “Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade
itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not
provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the
truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all thins, endures all
things. Love never fails”(1 Corinthians 13:4-8)
These are the three planks
upon which Christianity rests. Though every else may cease, these three will
abide. In fact, heaven and earth may pass away, but these will remain; faith, hope,
and love. But the greatest of these is love.
Father, we ask for faith, that we would believe You. We ask
for hope, that we would wait for Your promises. And we ask for love, that we
might give to others what You have given us.
In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Pastor Chuck Smith
Wisdom for Today
