And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold.
Matthew 24:12 (NKJV)
Today’s scripture comes from a passage in which Jesus is talking about signs of the end times. Some may be familiar to us, such as wars and rumors of wars…famines, pestilences, and earthquakes (Matthew 24:6–7 NKJV). But He also says that the love of many will grow cold (v. 12 NKJV) because of lawlessness and wickedness on earth.
The pressures of rampant evil, difficult circumstances, and frightening situations, and the stress of living under such tumult produce an atmosphere charged with strife and trouble. This causes us to turn inward, trying to protect ourselves and solve the problems that affect us. It also makes it easy to allow ourselves to become hard-hearted and ignore Jesus’ instruction to Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another (John 13:34 NIV).
When love grows cold, negative emotions take over. We become angry, resentful, jealous, suspicious, fearful, and susceptible to other negative feelings. We become self-focused rather than focused on how we can help the people around us.
In many verses of Scripture, we read that we are to love other people. Loving one another is one way the world will know we are Christians (John 13:35).
In the midst of a wicked and stressful world, let’s be sure to keep our love relationship with God strong. That will not only help us, but it will also empower us to keep our hearts tender and our love warm for others. When love is warm, we feel peace and joy, and we can share that peace and joy with others. This is what the world needs.
Prayer of the Day: Lord, no matter what happens in the world around me, help me keep my heart from growing cold and help me stay stirred up in my love for others.
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