Have you ever looked at yourself and thought, "boy, I'm ugly."  I don't mean the reaction that one may formulate upon looking in the mirror after a night's sleep or a messy cry, I mean -- ugly inside.

I know we are all made in the image of God, for His glory; as a result, I am confident that I am not a waste, but rather, redeemed in Christ.  Regardless, my sin is so ugly.  I find myself being selfish, judgmental, immature, prideful, and jealous.  And the worst part is, though I can change and improve, my sin is a perpetual part of my humanity.  Where is the hope then?  Where can one find hope when they know they are doomed to sin?

We can only find it in Christ.  To be a believer is to be redeemed.  We sin, yet the Lord gives us grace.  It's simple, but it's remarkable.  

What do we do then when we sin toward others?  When we perpetually reflect our fallen nature onto our relationships.  How can we ever grow with people, be loved and desired, when we are so messy and, at times, ugly?  Who really wants to be with a selfish, judgmental, immature, prideful, and jealous person?

I don't know.

Maybe the best answer I can give is a quote from Les Mis: 

"The supreme happiness of life is the conviction that we are loved; loved for ourselves--say rather, loved in spite of ourselves (167)."