The Mirror of the Word and other works by C.E. White can be purchased on her website, cewhitebooks.com or on Amazon.

“Love never fails; but if there are gifts of prophecy, they will be done away with; if there are tongues, they will cease; if there is knowledge, it will be done away with.”

—1 Corinthians 13:8

It’s human nature to want showy gifts—prophecy, tongues, and knowledge—gifts that bring awe, attention, and awards. 

But love is the greatest commandment (Mark 12:30–31); it’s the one gift that crosses over into eternity.

The Word tells us these others are transient; none are guaranteed to have eternal impact. 

But love—the kind of love that involves every piece of our emotions, desires, motives, thoughts, and will—that is infinite. It has unquestionable impact wherever we live it.

And rather than garnering recognition, power, or impressing others, love often keeps us in the shadows. We’re washing feet (John 13:13–15). We’re putting ourselves at the end of the table rather than choosing a place of honor (Luke 14:7–11). We’re giving more honor to others than we expect for ourselves (Romans 12:10).

Many of us feel incapable of doing very much good because we don’t have any obvious talents or gifts. This is a lie from the devil.

Every last one of us can love, and it’s the greatest of all the gifts. No one is less valuable than any other because they cannot prophesy, speak in tongues, or because they are not gifted in knowledge. 

In fact, if people have those gifts, but don’t have love, they’re simply making noise (1 Corinthians 13:1). But every one of us can love.

Our heart’s prayer should be not to have gifts that look important, but that God would teach us how to love fully.

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