Bring Them Back: Devotions From Time of Grace MinistrySample

THE CALL TO CARE: I FEEL LIKE A HYPOCRITE

It's hard to tell your teenage kids not to smoke when you do. It's hard to get them to take their studies seriously when they keep hearing stories about how you wasted your years in college. It may seem hard to bring someone to take God more seriously when you have some things about your own life that are common knowledge that you're ashamed of.

If you needed a completely clean record in order to speak up for God, nobody would ever be allowed to utter a word. Noah, David, Solomon, and Peter did great things for the kingdom and were great witnesses, but they were also miserable sinners.

Here is St. Paul's honest confession: "Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners--of whom I am the worst. But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his unlimited patience as an example for those who would believe on him and receive eternal life" (1 Timothy 1:15,16).

Sometimes a humble, forgiven bad boy is more believable than a smug know-it-all.