Have you ever gotten praise for something you didn’t do or didn’t help with? Maybe you received compliments for an event you were helping with at church, but you simply showed up on the day and didn’t help with any of the pre-work. Maybe you were the person that didn’t do much in the group project in school, yet you still got a high grade.
In those moments, how do you respond? Do you say, “thank you” and take the compliment sincerely? Do you try to correct the person and not take the credit? Sometimes it can be awkward to receive praise when you know you don’t rightfully deserve it. You know that you are unworthy.
Paul was in a similar situation here in 1 Timothy. Paul was aged by the time he wrote this epistle. He had been faithful in ministry and had taken the name of Jesus throughout the Gentile world. It would have been easy for him to accept all the praise and adoration of others for his work.
But Paul knows where all the praise is to be directed. His background is one that most people would view as a disqualifier for one working in ministry. Before Paul met Jesus, he hated Christians. In fact, he set out to have them killed. He writes that he was a blasphemer, persecutor, and arrogant (1:13).
Paul was one who was unworthy, but Jesus changed everything and gave him a worthy story, a story of grace, forgiveness, and love. That’s what Jesus does. The reality is that we are all unworthy, but there is One who is worthy and who comes near. He changes our stories to ones of life and fulfillment.
How do I know that? Look at what Paul states about his own life and subsequently all who trust in Jesus as Savior.
God is merciful and gracious towards you.
Mercy is not getting what you deserve. Grace is getting what you don’t deserve. Paul’s former life kept him at a distance from God. By all worldly standards, he had no qualifying characteristics that would make him a good fit to be an apostle.
But it was God who mercifully forgave him. He did not give Paul what he deserved. Instead, Jesus met Paul on the road to Damascus and called him to a new life, a life with purpose. By grace, Jesus set Paul out on a great mission.
Our sin keeps us at a distance from God. But God, shows us His great love by offering us the free gift of salvation through Jesus. Instead of getting death and separation from Him for eternity, we are given abundant and eternal life.
God loves you. He’s not mad at you. He’s not out to get you. Merciful and gracious is who He is, and it’s driven by His great love. He wants you to come to Him. In fact, He’s the one who draws near to you first. Even though you feel unworthy, He still comes.
God has a plan for your story.
God is in the business of taking the most unworthy or unqualified people and using them for His glory. We can look throughout the pages of Scripture and find men and women marked by pride, selfishness, arrogance, murder, deception, and so much more.
Yet it’s these very people that He calls to carry the good news of Christ throughout the world.
You may have a story that you think disqualifies you from God’s love or His purposes. This could not be farther from the truth. I encourage you to go an read Hebrews 11, which is known as the “Hall of Faith.” These men and women are praised for their faith and obedience. If you were to go and read their stories in context, you’ll find that they are messy humans just like us.
God isn’t looking for perfection. He’s looking for faithfulness and trust. He can use your story in a mighty way to show others the power of the gospel, just like He did with Paul.
God’s name deserves all glory and praise.
Paul writes in verses 16 and 17 that God’s mercy and grace were shown to him so that Christ’s name could be praised. Jesus is the one who paid for the sins of humanity. It is because of His blood that we are made clean. Therefore, He is one who should receive all of the credit.
Paul knew that without Christ, he is but a wretched sinner. But praise be to God that was no longer His story. In the same way, we are unworthy of the praise, but we have the opportunity to point all praise to Jesus.
Jesus draws near to those who are unworthy and makes us worthy to be called a daughter of God. He gives us a story to be shared by all. I’ll start first. I once was anxious and a people-pleaser, but Jesus rescued me and loved me. Now I am free and have purpose. Do you have a story like that?
