In labor, all creation groans until fear and pain cease, until Christ is this world’s King. Saint Paul writes, “We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time” (Romans 8:22). Our convictions reveal much about who we are, especially when we are willing to see ourselves clearly, through God’s eyes, and in the truth of where we truly stand.

Our value is revealed not simply in what we do, but in who we are. Still, what we do is shaped by who we are, what forms us, and what we choose to fill ourselves with. We are responsible for our actions and reactions, yet the model of grace has already been shown to us in Christ’s love. We do not need to be exceptional in order to be loved. Mercy and forgiveness meet us in our weakness, not after we have perfected ourselves.

Christ loved us in our most real humanity. To love another as Christ loves us is to love them not only at their best, but also at their worst and lowest. This kind of love is sacrificial, holy, unconditional, and committed. As St. Teresa of Ávila wrote, “It is love alone that gives worth to all things.” True conviction, then, does not lead us into pride or condemnation, but into grace, responsibility, mercy, and love. 

References

Romans 8:22, New International Version. BibleGateway. 

St. Teresa of Ávila, “It is love alone that gives value to all things,” cited in The Collected Works of St. Teresa of Avila, Vol. 1.