"For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known."

1 Corinthians 13:12 (NIV)

One day we will stand before God face to face. Everything partial will become complete. Everything dim will become clear. Everything incomplete will be made whole. But here's what you need to understand. When that moment comes, almost everything you're working on right now will become obsolete. Your knowledge will be unnecessary. Your spiritual gifts will cease. Your earthly achievements will be left behind.

Paul paints the picture of two ages we live between. Right now, we see through a mirror dimly. We know in part. We prophesy in part. Everything is incomplete and partial. But when completeness comes, when we see God face to face, the partial disappears. Prophecy becomes unnecessary because we'll have direct revelation. Knowledge becomes obsolete because we'll know fully. Spiritual gifts stop because their purpose is fulfilled.

John shows us the stunning reality in Revelation 22:4. "They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads." Not a reflection anymore. Not partial knowledge anymore. Direct, unfiltered, complete encounter with God Himself. When you see His face, you won't need prophecy to hear from Him. You won't need partial knowledge because you'll know Him fully. Everything designed for the partial age ends at the face-to-face moment.

But love doesn't end when you see Him face to face. Paul says love never fails. It doesn't become obsolete. It doesn't cease. It doesn't pass away. Love is the only thing that survives the transition from partial to complete. Your career ends. Your achievements stay behind. Your knowledge becomes elementary. But the love you showed? That comes with you. That continues. That perfects. Love like this, agape love, is the only investment that remains.

What are you building that will still matter when you see Him? The work project that consumed your week won't transfer to that moment. The promotion you're chasing won't cross over. The reputation you're protecting won't make it. But the patience you showed your difficult coworker? That's love that remains. The generosity you practiced with your resources? That's love that continues. The sacrifice you made to serve someone? That's love that survives face to face.

Godseekers, almost everything you're doing now has an expiration date. When completeness comes, the partial disappears. Your gifts, your knowledge, your earthly pursuits—they all end at the face-to-face encounter. Only one thing transitions from this age to the next. Only one thing remains when you see Him. Invest your life in agape love. Use your work to practice it. Use your resources to demonstrate it. Use your days to build it. When you stand before God, love is what stays. That's Love's Lasting Worth.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, thank You for the promise of seeing You face to face. Thank You that one day I'll know You fully, just as You already know me. But Father, help me understand what really matters. So much of what I'm chasing won't make it to that moment. Gifts will cease. Knowledge will pass away. Achievements will be left behind. But love remains. Teach me to invest in what survives the transition. Help me use my work, my resources, and my influence to practice agape now. Let love mark everything I do so when I see Your face, I bring something that matters. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Personal Reflection

• What am I currently investing in that will become obsolete when I see God face to face?
• How can I use my daily work and resources to practice the love that remains forever?

Step of Faith

Today, I will identify one earthly pursuit I'm chasing and ask honestly whether it will matter face to face, then redirect that energy toward an act of love that remains.