Winter of the Heart

Matthew 24:12 “And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.”

Unprecedented. Appalling. Abhorrent.

We could pen many words as to the degradation of the world today. We see the rise in murder, abuses of all kinds, drug use, sex slavery, political corruption, and churches dying in droves. 

One could swiftly become despondent over all the negative that is portrayed in the world news today.

It is astounding the number of God’s children who have taken up the conspiracy theorists who spin their stories and capture their attention away from what really matters. We need to look no further than the Word of God to find what we need.

Matthew 22:37-39 “Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.”

All that we do needs to aid us in following these two commandments. Everything else becomes a distraction. 

Paul told the church in Thessalonica that there will be a falling away.

2 Thessalonians 2:3-4 “Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.”

This is for us today. We are told there will rise an Antichrist who will lead the world in rebellion to God. The hearts of men are ripe for hearing that news, and it is a sobering reality to think we are living in such a time. 

As we see the rise of sin and wickedness in the world, have we allowed it to deaden our hearts to the things of God?

What are we doing to stem the continuing lack of zeal on the part of God’s children, let alone our own hearts?

Have we compromised in areas of our lives and allowed sin to creep in?

A quick checkup will reveal where we stand.

Is my heart as fiery and desirous of God’s Word as when we were first saved?

Does my walk with God grow in desire for a fresh awareness of His presence?

Do I pray to be a ready witness to whomever God would bring across my path?

Am I using my gifts and talents to serve as He desires, or am I serving at all?

These are just a few questions to get us thinking along the lines of where our hearts should be if we follow the commands God gave us.

Often, we have wrong priorities that skew our view of God, church, and eternity. We allow things into our lives, thinking we aren’t hurting anyone but ourselves. That is a lie of the devil.

Romans 14:7 “For none of us liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself.”

We are to be salt and light to a world in desperate need of both.

The work of the gospel squarely rests on the shoulders of the church. Its fervor for souls and work to fulfilling the great commission is paramount. Many get caught up in the minor things and miss the major.

At its root is the heart of every child of God. 

As we await the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ to claim His bride, the church, we must be about the Father’s business. It comes down to a matter of the heart.

Is your heart cold to the things of God, or are you unsettled enough to do something about it?

Does God speak to you through His Word? If not, why? Only you can answer that question.

The cure for every one of us is to put off those things that distract us from fulfilling the will of God for our lives. 

We must live with eternity in mind.