Reflection: Paul the saved sinner
As a former cross-cultural missionary in Africa, I see my feeble efforts as lying in the shadow of one of the first and greatest of missionaries, Paul the Apostle. Yet Paul was not obvious Christian missionary material. He had been “a Pharisee; as for zeal, persecuting the church” (Philippians 3:5-6). He even said of himself that he was the “worst of sinners” (1 Timothy 1:15). And his astounding transformation from anti-Christian to Christian missionary was not through his own efforts, but rather, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9).
Let us take heart that no one is beyond the grace and mercy of God. We can be used by God for his mission. Let us also have faith to continue to pray for others to come to know Christ, no matter how far off we may think they are: “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do” (Ephesians 2:10).
Prayer: Dear Father, thank you, God, for saving me and calling me to life with you and for all eternity. Today I lift up the following people to you … I ask that by your grace and mercy, you bring them to yourself.