First Love

4 Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love.  5 Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place.  Revelation 2:4-5

 

In this passage of Scripture Jesus is speaking to the church at Ephesus.  He had outlined several great things about this church- their hard work; their perseverance; their intolerance for wickedness.  But unfortunately these words of commendation were followed by a sharp rebuke. 

Like so many of us, the church of Ephesus was guilty of having a mixture in their life.  They were working for the Lord, but they had allowed their love to grow cold.  They had left their first love.  It is often hard to understand how a Christian can be busy serving the Lord and yet lose their closeness with Christ.  Like any other relationship, our relationship with the Lord takes time, commitment and passion.

Because they had left their first love, Jesus admonished them to repent and do the first works.  If they did not, they would be in danger of losing the Lord’s presence as symbolized by the candlestick.  It is important that we remember how it first felt when we received salvation.  The joy, the very keen reality of how close and dear Jesus is to us; the zeal to spend time in his presence and in his Word- these are all signs of being passionately in love with the Lord.  When our passion fades, we must go back to the time when we first met Him.  We have to remember how much we cherished the time spent with Him.  We have to push through the stresses of life in order to fan the flame of passion.  We have to repent- confess our sin and change so that we can continue to enjoy the same level of intimacy.

God is a jealous God, a consuming fire.  We cannot afford to replace Him with other interests or pursuits.  He must be first in our minds, hearts and time. 

I urge you today to take some time to evaluate where you are in your walk with the Lord.  Are you as close as you once were?  Do you feel His word coming alive as you read the Bible?  Can you hardly wait to pray and tell Him the things on your heart? If not, your spiritual love life may well need some attention.

Dear Lord, I ask that you forgive me for being distracted by the things in my life, even Christian works.  Help me to always keep my focus on you.  Help me remember the glow of love I felt when I first met you and received forgiveness.  In Jesus’ Name.  Amen.

Sherri