The saying is sure and worthy of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the foremost.” vs. 15
1 Timothy 1:15-17
One of the ways that we can tell a saint from a hypocrite is that the saint will make no pretense of being anything but a sinner. If we marvel at the words of St. Paul about his own miserable and broken life, our jaws will drop wide open when we read the memoirs of saints like Mother Theresa or Saint Francis of Assissi. Both, at the height of their ministries, struggled with deep darkness and sadness. Francis, who spent the last half of his life as a homeless person, devoted many hours each day to prayer, and was convinced that there was only brokenness in his heart. Mother Theresa longed for intimacy with God and was rewarded with a deep sense of unworthiness. Yet both of them devoted themselves to joyful living and sacrificial giving. Each of these saints was totally reliant on God’s grace and mercy and bore witness that if God could love them, then God could love anyone. It’s that brand of humility that cloaks the life of the authentic saints–they’re broken people, just like everyone else. And they are all around us in our congregations, tearfully confessing their sins, joyfully receiving assurance of forgiveness, and then going out to love and serve.
Thought for the Day: Where do I rank in the hierarchy of sinners?
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