Today is the Feast of Saint Augustine.

Augustine has influenced my thoughts of God more than any other. He has been called a “Doctor of the Church,” and could be considered one of the greatest theological minds of all time.

Augustine lived a life of hedonistic searching, up until late middle age. He exhausted every avenue the world offered. He tried every addiction and sensuality in search of joy, fulfillment, and contentment, before being rendered powerless by the love of God. Augustine’s mother, Monica, is also a hero of mine. She prayed with faith for decades, that her beloved son would be brought to Christ, when despair must have been looming. Her prayers were answered, just before her death.

Augustine knew suffering, pain, and loss, yet his writings prove he lived a life satisfied in Christ. He gave up a long term lover when he came to Christ, and his son died at a very young age. He lived the cost of discipleship out daily and gave hope to anyone struggling with a hard-to-break sin. All believers should take a look at his life and read his Confessions at least once. I’ve kept a copy by my bed for years.

A few of my favorite quotes from Augustine:

[ “What does love look like? It has the hands to help others. It has the feet to hasten to the poor and needy. It has eyes to see misery and want. It has the ears to hear the sighs and sorrows of men. That is what love looks like.” ]

[ “In my deepest wound I saw your glory, and it dazzled me.” ]

[ “Christ is not valued at all unless he is valued above all.” ]

[ “You have made us for Yourself, O Lord, and our heart is restless until it rests in You.” ]

[ “In order to discover the character of people, we have only to observe what they love.” ]

[ “There is no saint without a past, no sinner without a future.” ]