Posts Tagged: others' sins and our own
“What Makes My Heart so Cold?”
“And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.”(Matthew 24:12, King James Version)
My hands are awfully cold these days. It doesn’t take familiarity with the Eagles song, “The Cheatin’ Side of Town” for me to recognize this simple fact. I am old, and even though my “hands are [not] as cold as ice”, they are pretty cold. Before I hug my wife in the morning, I need to get in the habit of heating up those little microwavable bean bags and hold them in my hands for a minute or so.
But there is another and much more serious problem: Sometimes my heart grows cold. That is not simply a problem in relation to my sweetheart. Of course, it is quite serious there, but a cold heart affects my entire life and all my relationships. It also affects my enjoyment of life.
Jesus said that, in the last days of the world, iniquity would abound and the love of many would grow cold. However, I suspect that Jesus would agree that it wouldn’t take the end of the world for this to be true. In the context of Jesus’ saying that leads off this post (Matthew 14), Jesus tells his disciples about the signs that precede the end of this world. However, the signs are the kinds of things that are always occurring. I think that this is precisely one of the points that Jesus is making: Be ready all the time. The end could come at any time. This is precisely the point of the parables in Matthew 25, so I think that I am good ground here.
I used to think that Jesus was warning his disciples (and us) about other people’s sins and their effect on us. I don’t think so anymore. I think that Jesus was warning his original disciples—and us—about the chilling effects of our own sin.
It is no fun to take Jesus’ words that way. It is much easier to point out and condemn the sins of other people. It’s more fun too.
But my sins are the ones that will freeze my heart. The evil things I think and do, the good things I don’t do—these are the optional winter that I generate. I need to stop opting for spiritual winter. I can’t do a lot about my cold hands, but the temperature of my own heart is in my own hands.
DOWN TO EARTH BELIEVER
- “Even a Sliver of Light” April 9, 2024“For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.” (2 Corinthians 5:6, English Standard Version) I missed the total eclipse yesterday. There were a number of good reasons for this, but […]
- “The Process in Miracles and the Miracle of Process” March 11, 2024“2 Kings 5:1 Naaman, commander of the army of the king of Syria, was a great man with his master and in high favor, because by him the LORD had given victory to Syria. He was a mighty man of valor, but he was a leper. 2 Now the Syrians on one of their raids […]
- “The Power of Encouragement—Even for Old People” March 10, 2024“But encourage each other every day while it is ‘today.’ Help each other so none of you will become hardened because sin has tricked you.” (Hebrews 3:13, New Century Version) Yesterday, I was walking at a nearby park. There was a large group of young people some of whom were running while other young people […]
- “Endurance” March 10, 2024“For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God you may receive what is promised.” (Hebrews 10:36, English Standard Version) “Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us […]
- “The Limits of Non-Judgmentalism” February 24, 2024“Matt. 7:1 “Judge not, that you be not judged. Matt. 7:2 For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you.” (Matthew 7:1-2, English Standard Version) This morning, in my virtual 12-step meeting, we discussed the topic of judgmentalism. There were many wise […]
- “Delighting in Being Told What to Do?!?” February 23, 2024“Psa. 112:1 Praise the LORD! Blessed is the man who fears the LORD, who greatly delights in his commandments! 2 His offspring will be mighty in the land; the generation of the upright will be blessed. 3 Wealth and riches are in his house, and his righteousness endures […]
- “Character is the Real Lesson” January 19, 2024I am often confused about what lesson I’m really supposed to be learning. For example, this morning I was trying to knock out several Spanish lessons. My intentions were a lot better than my internet connection. I’ve done three lessons. Or rather, I’ve done two lessons. One of them I did twice because the internet […]
- “The Year of Becoming Un-Planked” January 1, 2024Each year, I try to come up with one word or a short phrase for what I intend to work on in the upcoming year. 2024 is “The Year of Becoming Un-Planked”. What?!! What does that even mean? So glad that you asked! Jesus said to his disciples, “Why do you look at the speck […]
- “Searching for the Noble One” December 26, 2023My wife and I were reading Luke, chapter 2 on Christmas Day. Luke 2 talks about the shepherds being told to look for this very special child—in fact, this King—in a stable. I prefer the word “barn”. I grew up on a farm. I know what a barn is. A stable is entirely too biblical […]
- “That Don’t Impress God Much” December 14, 2023DTEB, “That Don’t Impress God Much” “That Don’t Impress Me Much” (Song by Robert John Lange and Shania Twain) Micah 6:8 (MSG) “But he’s already made it plain how to live, what to do, what God is looking for in men and women. It’s quite simple: Do what is fair and just to your neighbor, be […]
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