Day 6: Augustine of Hippo - “Life of Repentance”
“For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing… Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!”
Introduction
Although he lived over 1,500 years ago and many great Christian minds came after him, Augustine of Hippo has no equal. He was a “theologian’s theologian” and was often regarded as the greatest Christian thinker of all time after the apostle Paul. Yet, despite his exceptional theological work, we should also consider his personal discipleship under Christ, particularly the role of repentance in his life.
Perpetual Repentance
Augustine took his sins very seriously. He viewed sin as seeking satisfaction apart from God. Throughout his life, he struggled with that tension in his discipleship: he wanted to know God more but was constantly drawn to worldly desires. Therefore, for Augustine, repentance is not a single act but a continual turning toward God and His grace.
Repentance is a lifelong discipleship. As Augustine approached the end of his life, his close friend and biographer, Possidius, recalled not his intellect or theological contributions, but his contrite heart before God. He wrote,
“Augustine ordered those psalms of David which are especially penitential to be copied out, and when he was very weak, he used to lie in bed facing the wall where the sheets of papers were put up, gazing at them and reading, and copiously and continually weeping as he read.”
Even in the face of death, Augustine longed for God and brought his heart before Him.
Augustine’s journey shows that discipleship is more than moral effort. It is about daily surrendering to Christ and relying on His grace. Through daily repentance, he experienced God more deeply and grew in His love.
Reflection
In our walk with God, let’s also practice repentance. When we fall into sin, let’s pray and immediately run back to the Father. In prayer, let’s always ask for God’s grace and forgiveness. Meditating on Psalm 51 is helpful and can lead us to God through genuine repentance. As we reflect on Augustine’s life, may we also seek Christ with a repentant heart and be further transformed by His love.