Love never fails

God’s love endures forever

By Bernice Gan, Alice Lock & Hannah Tang Peled

We all wish for a love that never fails. But we as humans fall short. Because of sin, the love of many has gone cold (Matthew 24:12). We love imperfectly.  

But in 1 Cor 13:8, we hear of a love that never fails, and the English Standard Version adds to our understanding of these words, translating them as “Love never ends”. 

The next sentence contrasts love with other spiritual gifts: “But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away.” Prophecies, tongues, and knowledge are all temporary. Not so with love. Because love is a basic attribute of God (1 John 4:8) and because God is eternal, love will also be eternal.  

 Love bears all things  

Photo by Unsplash / Felipe Correia 

The Greek word for ‘bear’ is στέγω (stegó) and usually refers to cover closely (so as to keep water out), to bear up under and to cover with silence and endure patiently. Interestingly, the Hebrew word for atonement in the book of Leviticus also means covering (for our sins). 

True love is being willing to bear with one another’s weakness and to forgive. 

Colossians 3:13 encourages us to “make allowance for each other’s faults and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others.”  

As we experience God’s forgiveness and love in our lives, we can also learn to love each other more deeply. 

Love believes all things 

Photo by Unsplash / Patrick Fore 

If you love someone, you will be loyal to them no matter what the cost. You will always trust and believe in them and expect the best of them. You will always stand your ground in defending them. 
 
Have you ever lost trust in someone or felt like giving up on people who continually disappoint you?  Romans 8 tells us our Heavenly Father loves us and He will not abandon us. He is for us as He is even willing to give up His beloved Son, Jesus Christ, to die for us on the cross so that we can become His children. 

It is by trusting in Him and receiving His love for us that we can give others and ourselves a chance when we have lost hope and continue to look for the best in each person and in ourselves. If God can save and transform us, so can He with others. 

Love hopes all things 

Photo by Unsplash / Lina Trochez 

How do we continue to be hopeful in people and circumstances when the going gets tough?  

The psalmist in Psalm 42 says that he will put his hope in God and continue to praise God even when he feels down. 

What is the basis of our hope? It is in the God we trust – our confidence is in our faithful God who is the same yesterday, today and forever (Heb 13: 8). He enables us to love others by believing the best in them and not giving up on them.  

We can face the future without fear (Isa 41: 10) because we know that God has our back and He can transform people and situations to cause all things to work out for the good of those who love Him (Rom 8: 28). 

Love endures all things 

Photo by Alicia Quan 

When we take a closer look at 1 Cor 13:7, we’ll find that the last expression of love – love endures all things – is the essence of what love does. Love bears all things, but when things become unbearable, love believes all things. And when things become unbelievable, love hopes all things. When all hope seems lost, love endures all things.  

Yet, with all the pain, disappointment and injustice in the world, it does seem like there is not much enduring love around. Love has in fact failed. Or has it? 

God’s perfect love never fails. God’s perfect love is demonstrated through Jesus who endured the excruciating pain and shame when he chose to die on the cross for our sins. Despite our imperfection, Jesus never stopped loving us.  

Peter denied Jesus three times, yet He did not stop loving Peter. Peter’s imperfect love was perfected by Jesus’ love, mercy and grace. 

God is love. His love for us is the same yesterday, today and forever. His love never fails. When our source of love is God, it will endure all things and will never fail. When we love others with the love of God, it brings glory and praise to Him. 
 

Reflect and Respond:  

  1. How have your relationships with people failed or disappointed you?  
  1. What does it mean in 1 Cor 13:8 that love never fails? 
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