The Bishop’s Mind: Christian Wisdom, Daily Devotionals & Empowering Messages for Kingdom Living

  When You Love Yourself, You Forgive Yourself "Although I am less than the least of all the Lord’s people, this grace was given me: to preach to the Gentiles the boundless riches of Christ."   Ephesians 3:8 (KSB)    In Ephesians chapter 3, the Apostle Paul calls himself “less than the least of all the Lord’s people.” He was carrying the heavy burden of his past, the persecution of Christians, the death of Stephen, and his role in orchestrating violence. Despite planting churches, writing letters, and leading Gentiles to Christ, Paul still struggled to forgive himself.  Paul’s journey reminds us of Gideon. When God called Gideon a “mighty man of valor,” Gideon protested, listing his inadequacies: his tribe was the weakest, his family the smallest, and he considered himself the least of all. Like Paul, Gideon had to learn to see himself the way God saw him through the lens of divine purpose, not past failure.    Many of us are just like Pa...