NT - Faith, Hope, and Charity

- Ironic that I should write on hope just yesterday, and my blog prompt today is on faith, hope, and charity. -

1 Corinthians 13 is a short chapter on charity specifically. It basically states that without charity, we are nothing, no matter how much knowledge, understanding, faith, prophecy, or eloquent speaking we have. It even states, "and though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing" (vs. 3). So what is charity if it is not giving all we have to the poor through welfare (which is actually what the word "poor" is referenced to in the King James Version of the Bible)?

I have come to the persuasion that charity, along with both hope and faith, are attitudes not actions or knowledge. For how could any of those three be action-based if the scripture clearly states that no matter what we do or know, it matters not if we have not charity? Therefore, it must be more than action or knowledge.

I believe it to be an attitude.
A desire of the heart.

For Charity is long suffering,
kind,
envieth not,
does not boast in itself,
is not prideful,
behaveth not crudely,
is not selfish and has no hidden agendas,
is not easily angered,
thinketh no evil towards itself or others,
does not rejoice in sin,
rejoiceth in truth,
beareth all things,
believeth all things,
hopeth all things,
endureth all things,
never fails and it never gives up.
(paraphrased from the chapter)

It is the true love of Christ...it is Christ, we could substitute His name for the word "charity" or any pronoun for it, and it would fit...it is perfect as He is. I believe that Christ not only bestowed all his goods upon the poor physically, but also spiritually, mentally, and emotionally. I think the most important part of His gift to us, was that He did so willingly, because He truly loves us. That is what I believe charity is.

Faith is like unto it. It is a belief that things are which are not seen. Like Judy the Elf in The Santa Clause says, "Seeing isn't believing. Believing is seeing." It requires action and not waiting around, but it is not based on the action either. I believe it is an attitude of believing in God the Eternal Father, His Son, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost and trusting that they will not lead you astray. I already spilled about hope, so I won't reiterate it here, but I also believe that hope is an attitude.