Lent with the Early Church Fathers Day 32

Day 32

Lent with the Early Church Fathers

A daily post from Tom Bandy 

Based on Day by Day with the Early Church Fathers (Eds. Christopher D. Hudson, J. Alan Sharrer, and Lindsay Vanker: Hendrickson Press, 1999) 

Made Holy 

Augustine 

We must be persuaded how much God loved us so that we don’t shrink from him in despair. And we need to be shown also what kind of people we are whom he loved so that we also don’t withdraw from him out of pride.  

He dealt with us so that we could profit from his strength, and, in the weakness of humility, our holiness could be perfected. One of the Psalms implies this. It says, “God sent a spontaneous rain for the weary.” The “spontaneous rain” is grace given freely and not according to merit. He didn’t give it because we were worthy, but because he willed.  

Knowing this, we shouldn’t trust in ourselves. That is what is meant by being made “weak.” God said to the apostle Paul, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my strength is made perfect in weakness.” We, then, must be persuaded how much God loved us and what type of people we were whom he loved. The former is important, lest we despair; the latter, lest we become proud.