In First Corinthians 12, Paul speaks to us about the gifts of the Spirit – the word of wisdom, the word of knowledge, faith, gifts of healing, working of miracles, prophecy, discerning of spirits, and divers kinds of tongues. He tells us in verse thirty-one that we are to “covet earnestly the best gifts” (KJV) or “earnestly desire and zealously cultivate the greatest and best gifts and graces” (Amplified). And many of us have done just that. We have sought the Spirit, made adjustments and done whatever we believed was necessary for the gifts to operate in our ministries. However, Paul went on to say in that same verse that there was a “more excellent way” (KJV), “one that is better by far and the highest of them all—love” (Amplified).

How many of us have coveted earnestly and zealously cultivated this love that Paul speaks of? It is the highest way. In Isaiah 55:9 we are told that God’s thoughts and God’s ways are higher than our thoughts and our ways. So we join David in his prayer, “Show me Your ways, O Lord; teach me Your paths” (Ps. 25:4, Amplified). And here in 1 Corinthians 12:31 He does just that. His way that is higher than our way, the highest way of all, is the way of love… the HIGH way of love.