Verse of the Day - 1 Timothy 1:15-16

Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the foremost. But for that very reason I received mercy, so that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display the utmost patience, making me an example to those who would come to believe in him for eternal life.
~ 1 Timothy 1:15-16 (NRSV)

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I think sometimes people who don't know Jesus think that they just aren't good enough for God to love them, that they're too bad, or clumsy, or irritable, or whatever. Their perception of God's vision is that He wants perfection and is only interested in those who are...already and always.

Enter Paul -- a man with issues. A lot of issues.

Although we don't know everything about Paul's habits and hangups, we are given a few looks into his life, and what we see is a man who is far from perfect. And one of his first issues is that he strove for perfection. Talk about the 'letter of the law'! This guy was a perfectionist extraordinaire! Funny thing is that this trait probably made him prideful. There . . . did you catch that fall into sinful imperfection? Or how about anger? We do know that he railed against the Christians before his conversion and was extremely passionate about imprisoning and killing the followers of Christ. Wow, now that has all the earmarks of someone God would love, right? Actually, the answer to that question is, "Right!"

Humanity has a pretty widely accepted misunderstanding of God's heart. They think He demands perfection before coming to Him and after coming to Him. They think they have to get their act together and keep it together, or God won't love them. Paul is a beautiful example of the antithesis of that! He was a fanatical killer in the name of God before Jesus got ahold of him. But don't miss the point -- Jesus got ahold of him! Jesus took hold of him. Jesus wanted Paul and accepted Him with all of his flaws and tendencies and habits. And Jesus wants you, too.

If you tend to criticize yourself and think that Jesus couldn't possibly want and accept you because of your past, or even your present, I would ask you to read the Book of Acts and the books that Paul wrote (okay, you're gonna need some time for this, 'cuz he wrote alot of the New Testament :-). He wasn't perfect and was willing to admit it. But he recognized that his life was a portrait of God's mercy and grace, to forgive and use a sinner such as himself.

We're all sinners in need of God's mercy and grace. No matter what your life looks like, He will never turn His back on a repentant heart. And you can't point to anything in your life that can keep God from giving you forgiveness, love and acceptance -- unless you choose not to come to Him.

Don't be misled by misunderstanding God's heart. It is full of love and mercy for all people -- sinners alike. Like Paul. Like Billy Graham. Like me.

Love,
Joelene