Love

Colossians 3:14
"And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity."

Love is the virtue that is always most emphasized and valued. God himself stated that he saved all mankind from sin because he "so loved the world" John 3:16. Corinthians states that love is "the most excellent way" 12:30 and that love is greater than both faith and hope which are the core of our salvation. When Jesus was asked what was the most important commandment he answered that it was love (Matthew 22:37-40). John in fact goes further and states that "God is love" 1 John 4:8.

But why is love so important and so much better then the other virtues. What sets it apart as something more valued among the virtues? This passage from Colossians gives us a clue, it describes love unifying the other virtues, Paul elsewhere uses virtues to describe what love is (Corinthians 13). That is, each virtue partially describes love. Humility is a part, love is the whole. Generosity is a part, love is the whole. All these things make up love but love is so much more than the sum of its parts. Without love's guiding hand we lose perspective in our other virtues, we become generous without humility, patient without perseverance, have faith without hope. When love is our motive it becomes clear how to act, its easy to keep the balance because all we have to do is do what we were made to do. That is to love.

In other words love is any and every act of some good virtue. When we are generous we are loving through that act. When we are humble we are loving through that act. And whenever we love, we are reflecting God's image and are being transformed into his likeness because as John said God is love.