“Love is the greatest, I said that even before I truly knew it was.”
Thoughts from daily Bible reading for today – October 10, 2025
Three things will last forever—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love. 1 Corinthians 13:13
Muhammad Ali, one of the greatest boxers of all time, often said out loud as a reminder to himself and to the world: “I am the greatest, I said that even before I knew I was.” What is the meaning behind his words? Perhaps a self-fulfilling prophecy, maybe a way to get into his opponents’ heads, or simply a statement of fact to bolster his confidence and keep him focused on becoming the best version of himself. Not surprisingly, there is an elevated love beyond love of self. Paul, in his famous hymn to love (agape), does a deep dive into God’s love. Lesser loves can lose their influence through death, divorce, or estrangement. Yet, the love of the Lord grows even stronger in its influence over a lifetime of experiencing joy, sadness, and life’s realities.
Faith and hope are vital, but love surpasses both because it is eternal and reflects God’s very nature. Faith will someday turn into sight, hope will be fulfilled, but love never ends. Love is the foundation of every spiritual gift, the bond that unites us, and the highest calling of believers. To live in love is to mirror Christ Himself, making love the greatest virtue of all. Love never fails.
We grow into this everlasting love not by rushing or seeking quick results, but by patiently walking with God through life’s seasons. Each joy and sorrow, success and failure, teaches us something. Over time, wisdom forms us—not just as knowledge, but as deep understanding born from discernment and empathy. It sharpens our ability to see what is true, noble, and honorable, while helping us reject what is false and self-centered. As wisdom develops inside us, it guides our hearts away from shallow loves and into the everlasting embrace of God’s love—a love that never fades or fails. What if we repurposed Ali’s words to say, “Love is the greatest, I said that even before I truly knew it was.” Make it a prayer for the Holy Spirit to mold our lives by.
“Love is the greatest. I said that even before I truly knew it was.” These words reflect the journey from instinct to understanding. We often feel love’s importance long before we grasp its depth. Over time, experience shows us that achievements fade, possessions pass away, and power shifts, but love lasts. Authentic love—patient, kind, humble, and selfless—proves itself to be the strongest force in life. It shapes character, heals wounds, and mirrors God’s eternal nature. Living in love means living aligned with what matters most. Only in love do we find a truth that never fails and never fades. Consider this daily prayer over the next week to nurture great love.
Prayer
Holy Spirit, shape my heart in the truth that love is the greatest. Long before I fully understood, You planted this desire deep within me. Now I ask You to make it real in my life. Teach me that love is patient when I am restless, kind when I am quick to judge, humble when pride rises. Remind me that love never fails, because it flows from You, the eternal source. Mold me daily to live not for myself but for others, so that my life reflects the love of Christ in every word, thought, and action.
Application
How can you deepen your understanding and practice of experiencing God’s love as the ultimate goal of your life?
Related Reading
Jeremiah 31:3; John 15:9; Romans 5:5, 8:38-39; Ephesians 3:17-19
Worship Resource
Laura Daigle: Love Like This
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