Have we lost our first love?
Do you remember when you first felt the heart flutters for your spouse? Or what about the first time you held your first child (if you have one) or the moment you surrendered to Yeshua and felt the warmth of His love?
I am about 3,300+ miles from my family spending time with close friends within the gorgeous wilderness of Alaska. We have already shared about 400 photos between all of us and it is only about half way through our exploration, yet one flat out, most awesome, car pull off spot for us four men was to hike down just a bit to this rocky plateau to overlook a mountain basin. Yet what makes this so spectacular was the rolling fog through the basin and how it was so low and enveloped us at the same time. Words can’t do justice to how beautiful it was to be standing on the cliffs and overviews.
Yet if I had to see that every day would it still captivate my heart? Would I still want to share the experience with others so that they could experience the wonder themselves? Or would I just drive right on by oblivious to the scene that once lit up my spirit so that I can rush to the next destination?
I think I would be guilty.
And most likely you are too.
We lost our first love. Christ.
He used to captivate our heart…
We could not wait to share Him. He and His message exuded from our lips to the next person – to anyone who would listen even for a few short moments.
In fact He chastised, in the book of John, the church in Ephesus about this very same thing.
Take note:
Revelation 2:2-5 (NASB95)
2 ‘I know your deeds and your toil and perseverance, and that you cannot tolerate evil men, and you put to the test those who call themselves apostles, and they are not, and you found them to be false; 3 and you have perseverance and have endured for My name’s sake, and have not grown weary.
4 But I have this against you, that you have left your first love. 5 Therefore remember from where you have fallen, and repent and do the deeds you did at first; or else I am coming to you and will remove your lampstand out of its place—unless you repent.”
Jesus is clear. Very clear.
We can have church programs. We can have a good heart that tries to what is right. Heck we go to church on Sundays and sit in on Bible studies and call ourselves a Christian. We are golden right? We are doing His work and enjoy a sermon weekly. We are doing just fine.
Or are we?
What did Yeshua just say in those verses? Notice how He explains to them that they have been doing good things for others and for Him yet they lost the heart behind it.
Their love for Him = Lost.
One of my friends on this trip said tonight oh how he wished he could motivate parents to teach their children Christ. Wow! What a statement, a wish, and a challenge?
I am guilty of this. I lost my love of Jesus for quite some time and it hurt the family. I stopped going to church and collateral damage was that we as a family stopped and spiritual damage was done for quite some time.
Yet G-d met me in the shower years after when I was spiraling and spiritually in despair. I had a wake up call that I needed to go back to church not for me but for the kids even if I did not want to still at that time.
I let the kids down as their spiritual mentor and head of household pointing them to Christ.
I let Christ down as well because it’s my duty to honor Him and share my love for Him to my family.
So was I still a Christian – yes but was I a Christ follower – no. I was not.
If I was loving Him with my heart, soul, mind and strength with a sweetness as my original first few questions that started this article today I would have then honored Him and my family.
So I challenge you today to take a moment and think about that question seriously.
Remember that sweet request:
‘“Come, follow Me,” Jesus said, “and I will make you fishers of men.” (BSB)
Have you lost your true love?
