On of my favorite verses in the Bible is 1 John 3:1, See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. God’s love is lavishly given to us. So much so that He calls us His children. When people do not understand the change in our lives because of God, it’s because they lack the knowledge and relationship with Him necessary to understand it. We should always be satisfied with our own relationship with God and know it is enough.

We live in a fallen world. It has always been a place where evil exists. In today’s reading Paul talks about the things we should look out for in the end times. 2 Timothy 3:1-5 says, 1 But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. 2 People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, 4 treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God— 5 having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with such people. It is easy to read this list and say, “we are here”, but the timing for God is His and His alone. Many of the things on this list have always been here and will always be a part of our human existence. We must be aware of the things that distract and take people away from God. It is our job to reflect the love and existence of God and allow ourselves to be used by Him to draw people closer to a loving relationship with Him.