7 Life-Changing Lessons from Saint Augustine
Augustine of Hippo started life in the pit of sin. He:
Lived a party lifestyle
Got a girl pregnant
Joined a cult.
And then became the most significant theologian in church history.
Augustine’s Confessions was voted by Church History magazine as the most influential book outside the Bible. Yet it isn’t a stuffy theological tome, but a thrilling testimony of his life’s ups and downs.
In this post, we will explore 7 life-changing lessons we can learn from Augustine’s remarkable life:
Augustine's life is full of many low points.
In his testimony, he is honest about many of his past sins. He even had a child out of wedlock.
Yet many would argue he is the most influential theologian outside the Bible.
What an encouragement to Christians with a terrible past! Never despair that your past disqualifies you.
God loves to use sinners to his glory
Augustine's father was an ungodly man who even encouraged his son’s sexual immorality.
His mother, Monica, was his only spiritual model. Throughout her life Monica prayed persistently for Augustine. She pursued her son across the Mediterranean and never gave up hope that God would save him.
Just before she died, she saw him come to faith. Long-time readers will remember that we saw this in the life of Lavinia Bartlett as well. Keep praying mums!
In Confessions Augustine shares his testimony, which takes many twists and turns, as he explores various religions. He investigates philosophy and Christian cults. Sometimes you wonder if he will ever become a Christian.
Yet this is exactly how conversion works.
Sometimes Christians lack perseverance in evangelism. Augustine makes clear how God can work even in the wanderings of his people.
Augustine is constantly surrounded by friends.
Most of the time these friends are bad influences (or Augustine was a bad influence on them!)
But later in his story, some friends who point him to Jesus. At conversion, a small group of men gather around him to explore the Bible together.
In an age of isolation, how vital this is. Who your friends are matters. Do you have Godly Christians in your life who you can turn to?
Later in life, Augustine was an influential bishop. Retelling this story of a life of sin can't have been easy. No one likes to reveal their past.
Yet his confessions have blessed Christians for centuries.
Augustine ‘s life challenges us to re-examine our story. Perhaps on a private level, looking at how God was at work throughout your spiritual journey. Perhaps being honest with others to give them hope.
Like Paul and Augustine, in stories of the chiefs of sinners, Jesus’ glory is displayed.
If there was anyone to lose hope in, it was Augustine.
Each time he seemed to come close to Christian faith, he took a wrong turn. Yet his mother kept faith and continued praying.
Most of us know a prodigal we've lost hope in. May this story be an encouragement to you that God can save the most lost of sheep.
Augustine’s famous quote is:
Because God has made us for Himself,
our hearts are restless until they rest in him.
The belly is made for food, so it hungers. The mouth is made for water, so it thirsts. And the human heart is made for God, so it is restless until (in Christ) we find rest in him.
This famous line is played out in his story.
He tried to find joy in many things but only ultimately finds it only in God. You don't have to live Augustine's story to find the truth of that.
Like Solomon before him, and many others, Augustine tested himself with pleasure and found it wanting. The only thing that can fill the pain in our heart is God himself.
I’d recommend reading Augustine. If you find a modern translation, the language will not be too difficult to understand. Or there are various good audiobooks out there to listen to as well.
Have you read Augustine's Confessions? What stood out to you from his story?
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