Trust is an important part of any strong relationship. A child wants to trust that his parent will care for him physically and emotionally. An employee wants to trust that his employer will create a safe work environment and provide payment for work done well. Friends trust that they can share difficult experiences in confidence and with respect.

The writer of today’s reading, Paul, calls himself the worst sinner. Paul remembers what he did in his early adulthood. He not only didn’t believe in Jesus, but he worked hard to ruin the lives of all Christians. Paul was a persecutor of Christians. However, God called him to serve as a missionary to share the message of the gospel. With the faith given to him, Paul trusted that Jesus “came into the world to save sinners”—sinners like Paul. He trusted that Jesus had given him eternal life by dying on the cross. He knew that the promise that Jesus came into the world to save even murderers like himself was a “trustworthy saying”.

Even if we have not murdered anyone or looked for opportunities to stop God’s work, we are sinners. You see, God doesn’t view sins as big sins or small sins. To God, all sins are big. To God, every sin is the worst. We, like the writer of today’s passage, are the worst sinners because our sins condemn us. However, we are also redeemed sinners who have been saved by what Jesus has done to remove our sins and restore our relationship with God. We, too, need a daily reminder that we can trust that Jesus has saved us from our own selfishness and that Jesus has earned our place in his kingdom.

How thankful we can be that God has shown his mercy and patience with us! We can trust his promise to strengthen our faith as we press on in this world. When we remember our sins and God’s mercy, we can reflect that mercy and patience on those around us. We can share that “trustworthy saying” with others—that even though we are the worst, Jesus died once for all!