May 25, 2023 - 1 John‬ ‭3:1‬

“What marvelous love the Father has extended to us! Just look at it—we’re called children of God! That’s who we really are. But that’s also why the world doesn’t recognize us or take us seriously, because it has no idea who he is or what he’s up to.” 1 John 3:1 MSG

Lord, we thank you for your marvelous love. It is wonderful how you love us. You have adopted us as your children. When a good or even decent parent loves a child that is a love that doesn’t go away. It doesn’t matter what the child does or how they abuse the love, the love is still there. It doesn’t have to be earned. Lord, your love is so much greater than the love of any parent on earth. Your love is perfect and never fails.

It is hard to wrap our brains around how much you love us, accept us, and what it really means to be adopted by you. Help us comprehend it enough to accept it as truth. Help us learn to walk in the authority and privileges that come with being a child of God. Help us to lift up our heads, kill the shame that wants to keep us down, and walk boldly in who you say we are.

Give us a boldness that would push us past wanting to be accepted by the world. We only want to live for you and your ways. Help us understand and be ok with the fact that the world doesn’t understand your ways. Your ways are counter cultural. The world didn’t understand you when you were here, so they won’t understand us either. But those whose hearts are ready will be drawn to your ways when they see them lived out. Help us to be the salt and light that lives differently in a world lacking much salt or light. Let us stand out as different so we can offer people a different perspective and option. Thank you that you never leave us on our own, but you help us walk out all of this. You are an amazing Father!

In Jesus name, amen.