Guarding your heart posture when the world grows dark ~
“Because lawlessness will increase, the love of many will grow cold.”
—Matthew 24:12
This is part of Yeshua’s Olivet Discourse, where He describes the signs of the end of the age, and at first glance this seems to be speaking of the world, which to some extent might be accurate, however a closer examination of this text reveals that this is actually a prophecy about BELIEVER’s, rather than unbelievers.
Let’s look at the word: LOVE that is used here in greek.
The Greek word used in Matthew 24:12 is ἀγάπη (agapē) — not philia (friendship), not eros (romantic passion).
Agapē = self-giving, covenantal, divine love, brotherly love.
In the New Testament, agapē almost always refers to the kind of love that comes from Yehovah and flows through His people. That alone gives a strong clue: this prophecy is about believers, not unbelievers.
Unbeliever’s are not capable of eroding true agape, since only those who abide in Yehovah know that love — 1 John 4:7 - 8 and He is the source of love, so if your love is not linked to nor coming from the source, how is a person able to express that love? It’s simple, they are not capable of it.
Next lets look at the phrase “love growing cold.”
Yeshua says that as lawlessness (anomia) spreads, the agapē of many will grow cold.
Anomia = not simply “breaking rules,” but rebellion against Yehovah’s order.
This rebellion creates an atmosphere where even believers are tempted to harden their hearts, grow cynical, or shut down compassion.
So this is not about unbelievers lacking love—they already live apart from the source of true love. It is about believers’ hearts being cooled, numbed, or shut down under pressure.
Now let’s look at the hebraic mindset. This is important to do since this is the mindset in which the scriptures were written in, in the first place.
In Hebraic thought, the heart (lev) is the seat of both love and obedience. To “grow cold” is to become hardened—unresponsive to Adonai and to others.
So Yeshua is warning His disciples:
Not to let external chaos choke out internal faith.
Not to let betrayal, persecution, or disappointment cause them to close their hearts.
To keep burning with the fire of agapē, even when the world is dark.
We can look around, even online and see how this dissent is already taking root with many believer’s, numbness, division, constant emotional overload, unable to tolerate others that disagree with you, these are all signs of love waining.
This rarely happens in a dramatic moment — it’s often slow, through distractions, bitterness, unrepentance, or striving in one’s own strength.
Sometimes it looks like apathy. Other times it looks like busyness. But the root is the same — love withheld.
And being connected online all the time, can lead to emotional overload and burnout, which puts your temple into a state of nervous system dysregulation, often pushing you into fight or flight or even disassociation and shutting down.
Practical Ways to Guard Your Heart
Daily Surrender: this is not about perfection but rather consistency and sincerity. Cultivating a heart of daily surrender takes effort and discipline. Try journaling as apart of your prayer time. Call upon our Heavenly Father to take from you what was never your’s to carry, even the strong and heavy emotions like anger, frustration, disappointment, etc. He is the one who can handle it, even if your outcry is directed at him. Just look at the Psalms and you will see how much King David cried out and brought all his “strong” emotions directly to Adonai.
Forgiveness: unprocessed bitterness is one of the fastest ways that love grows cold. Extending forgiveness is moreso for your heart and wellbeing rather than the other person receiving it. When you invoke forgiveness you enable our Heavenly Father to forgive you even more (Ephesians 6.) As a gentle reminder for this, forgiveness does not mean you have to take someone back into your life, and it does not excuse or erase their behavior and what was done to you, forgiveness uproots bitter spiritual roots in your temple so that you may thrive in life.
Joy in Waiting: Psalm 27:14, Psalm 118:24 — joy keeps the heart warm, so create more joyous moments for yourself. Do more of the things that bring you joy, like hobbies, art, dancing, singing, playing an instrument, baking, learning something new, reading, etc. If you intentionally bring more joy into your life, it will be harder for your heart to be consistently weighted down with coldness.
Stillness & Presence: How are we expect to hear or know what our Heavenly Father is asking of us if we do not allow enough stillness within our minds and life so that we may recognize his voice when he speaks? Even when we see atrocities online, turn directly to Adonai and allow him to mend your heart.
Community & Boundaries: who you surround yourself, what you watch, what you listen to, what you read it all affects your heart posture. What you focus on or think on takes hold and grows, for better or worse. You must be mindful of who and what you allow access to you and especially your heart.
Journal Prompts ~
Reflection on Heart Posture
“In what areas of my life have I noticed my love growing cold—toward God, toward others, or even toward myself?”
Surrendering Control
“What expectations, timelines, or burdens do I need to surrender to Adonai in this season?”
Receiving God’s Love
“What lies about myself or my worth have I been believing, and what truth from Scripture can I replace them with?”
Practical Action
“What one rhythm (prayer, stillness, boundaries, rest) can I practice this week to guard my heart and keep it tender?”
Hope Anchor
“What does it look like for me to ‘wait on the Lord’ with joy rather than with anxiety?”Remember, true (agape) love casts out fear, it’s capable of covering a multitude of sins and it’s what saves others in a way.
This message isn’t about turning the other cheek, for that scripture is wildly taken out of context.
Simply this is a message about not allowing the events of this world, the agenda of those in corrupt power, to over shadow our one true greatest spiritual weapon against the deceiver, and that is LOVE.
Out of Love creation was born.
A love so great, he stepped out of heaven to atone for the world, a love so powerful he conquered death, a love so transformative, He changed your very soul.
Guarding your heart posture isn’t just about avoiding sin—it’s about actively cultivating peace, clarity, and joy in Adonai. That’s why I created the Nourish Your Nervous System Guide and the Taking Thoughts Captive Workbook. These are resources designed to help you identify the lies keeping you in survival mode, calm your nervous system, and stay rooted in the truth of God’s Word.
Download both of these from visiting this link: Ruach Wellness Freebies
~ Shalom Dear Readers