First Love

Remember when you met your first love? You just couldn’t wait to spend time alone. And when you were together, the time flew by because you were so caught up in each other that you didn’t think about anything else. But after a while, your heart started to cool down, and life took over. Oh, you still spend a little time with your first love, but you’ve stopped talking like you used to and things have become a little stale.

What is it about our hearts that make us this way? Jesus has a message of warning for us in the Church who have left our first love – Jesus. His word comes from Revelation 2:2-7, which says:

“[2]’ I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked men, that you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false. [3] You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary.
[4] Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken your first love. [5] Remember the height from which you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place. [6] But you have this in your favor: You hate the practices of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.
[7] He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.’”

When you look at this passage, you can see that the Christians in this church have a lot going for them. They have worked hard and persevered for Christ. They have tested those claiming to be ambassadors of Christ and have found some to be liars. But even with all that good stuff they’re doing, Jesus still has something against them...They have left their first love. They have become so comfortable with their Christianity, that they are doing their works out of duty instead of doing them out of a love for Christ. Is your love waning when it comes to Christ? Has your heart cooled down to where you are doing good things for God, but they aren’t being done out of love for Him? Are you “comfortable” in your Christianity? If so, then know that Jesus didn’t leave you, you left Him! If you look deeply into your own life, you’ll see where your time and attention is, and it’s not on Jesus. Where is your focus? No human relationship will survive if you’re not investing in it. And likewise, your relationship with God won’t thrive unless you’re pouring yourself into it.

Jesus tells us the way to return to Him is to repent! Turn from those things that are holding your gaze, and turn back to the Lord of your life who wants to meet with you every day. He wants your eyes on Him as He speaks a fresh breath into your life and fans the flames of your love for Him. We can easily get caught up in a lot of “good” things, but are they “God” things? Did God ask you to do them? Jesus isn’t impressed with your works that are done out of wrong motives. For those who will listen…if you will repent and turn back to Jesus, one day, you will eat from the tree of life in the Paradise of God. In the meantime, you can eat from the Bread of Life here on earth, and He will satisfy you. Turn back to Jesus and do the things you once did when your heart was on fire for Him and He will always be in His rightful place as your first love.


Bible verse taken from the New International Version.
@Copyright 2011 LVC Ministries, Inc.