Godlessness in the Last Days

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Godlessness in the Last Days

3 But understand this, that yin the last days there will come times of difficulty. 2 For people will be zlovers of self, alovers of money, bproud, barrogant, abusive, bdisobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 cheartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, dnot loving good, 4 treacherous, reckless, eswollen with conceit, flovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5 having the appearance of godliness, but gdenying its power.hAvoid such people.  I Timothy 3:1-5

I read this today and was thinking how horrible that people will behave like this...that THEY already do act like this.  How m any times have people cut you off in traffic, talked behind your back, been more interested in getting the sale price than being nice to the cashier, doing what makes us happy no matter how it affects others, and so on and on!

Then I read through the passage again, and I though about how selfish I was yesterday, how I was concerned about my retirement instead of someone's feelings and how they charged me incorrectly and I was rather blunt about it, how proud I was to think I was right and they were wrong...need I go on?  You get the point, I did all those things just yesterday!  Oh my!  How can I be a Christian here on this earth?  There is no way this kind of behavior will work in heaven!

Then I remember that I am forgiven through Christ, led by the Holy Spirit (when I listen) and loved by God. I am a Christian! I make mistakes; I mess up; I don't do what I should. However, I can ask for forgiveness and have all my mistakes wiped away!  I can go to heaven, because my sins are wiped away through Jesus Christ and I am as white as snow...holy. 

Father, please help me to remember how merciful you are to me and to show that same mercy to those I encounter every second of every day...because you love them to with all their faults just as much as you love me with all my faults!