These Three Remain: Faith, Hope, and Love

These Three Remain:

Faith, Hope and Love

Friday, January 10, 2025, is Quitters Day. It is recognized on the second Friday of January to mark the date that most people give up on their New Years Resolutions. According to Statista, the six  most common New Years resolutions are:

1. Save more money (21%)
2. Eat healthier (19%)
3. Exercise more (17%)
4. Lose weight (15%)
5. Spend more time with family/friends (14%)
6. Quit smoking (9%)

These are all good resolutions and worthy of embracing. Christians often add to this list a number of spiritual ones like the following.

1. Spend more time with God (pray more, read Scripture).
2. Develop Christian Relationships (avoid negative influences).
3. Be more Mindful, Intentional, Reflective (journal, plan, set goals).
4. Repent of/Avoid Sinful Practices or Bad Habit.
5. Reach out More to Others (Serve, Evangelize, Teach).

However, most of these resolutions soon fall to the wayside. Many don’t even last past the second Friday in January – Quitters Day. It is for this reason I have always had a love/hate relationship with resolutions. I have not given up on self-improvement, but I realize that sometimes we “bite off more than we can chew” as we make our list of goals.

This year, I am doing something different. In 1 Corinthians 13, Paul contrasts flashy, temporary things with things that will last.

1 Corinthians 13:8-13 Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10 but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears. 11 When I was a child, I talked like a child, I  thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. 12 Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. 13 And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

Beginning Sunday, I want to talk about three words that for the Christian promise stability and permanence. I want to orient my life around these three foundational concepts. Faith, Hope, and Love. For the next three weeks, we will discuss each one of these in succession. I hope you will join us for this series.

I’ll say more in my lesson, Joey