With our small earthquakes here and stories of devastating ones around the world, combined with all of the international turmoil causing wars in places like Ukraine, and the prolonged drought, it makes sense that it reminds us of this passage from Mark and other prophecies of the end times. The question then is, “What do we do about it?”
I often see one of two responses. One group of people will complain about how bad the world has gotten; saying we’re going to you-know-where in a handbasket, and attempt to connect all the dots to prove that the end of the world is coming. This group also warns everyone of the coming end-times disasters, and generally looks at all the bad things.
The other response is quite different. Instead of focusing upon the bad things the end times will bring, it focuses upon the fact that it means Christ’s return is that much closer. Maybe it’s next week, maybe it’s still centuries away, but it’s coming. This should bring excitement and a renewed energy to show Christ’s love and hope to a world that is experiencing the “beginning of birth pains”.
Which response will you choose as we see hard times in the world?