12 I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength because he considered me faithful. So he appointed me to ministry 13 even though I used to speak against him, attack his people, and I was proud. But I was shown mercy because I acted in ignorance and without faith. 14 Our Lord’s favor poured all over me along with the faithfulness and love that are in Christ Jesus. 15 This saying is reliable and deserves full acceptance: “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners”—and I’m the biggest sinner of all. 16 But this is why I was shown mercy, so that Christ Jesus could show his endless patience to me first of all. So I’m an example for those who are going to believe in him for eternal life. 17 Now to the king of the ages, to the immortal, invisible, and only God, may honor and glory be given to him forever and always! Amen. 18 Timothy, my child, I’m giving you these instructions based on the prophecies that were once made about you. So if you follow them, you can wage a good war 19 because you have faith and a good conscience. Some people have ruined their faith because they refused to listen to their conscience, 20 such as Hymenaeus and Alexander. I’ve handed them over to Satan so that they can be taught not to speak against God. (1 Timothy 1:12-20, CEB)
Have you ever known someone one and then haven’t seen them for a while and when you see them again they are a completely different person? When I see people I graduated from high school with, who haven’t really been close to me and they find out that I am a pastor, they are a little taken aback. Not because I was some hellion in high school, I was a good kid, but not really the church going type. So it is a little weird to them. That is why we really can not judge people by their pasts, or who they were, because God changes hearts.
When God pours her favor over our lives we are changed and what we knew is no longer what we know or who we are. But we can not shame ourselves for what we were. We did the best we could with who we were then, and God changed us to be the person we were created to be.
Know God is constantly working on you and your life. And God loves you as you are becoming your perfect self.
So go into the world and share that love as you go.
Love People, Love God.
aSacredRebel 