First Love

I know your works, your toil and your patient endurance, and how you cannot bear with those who are evil, but have tested those who call themselves apostles and are not, and found them to be false.  I know you are enduring patiently and bearing up for my name's sake, and you have not grown weary.  But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first.    ^{– Revelation 2:3-5}Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent.

One of the big problems in marriages today is that people’s love for one another just grows cold.  Life gets in the way and before you know it, you have a couple of married singles.  They live out their separate lives together, sometimes barely communicating to each other.  They may spend their lives under the same roof, but they may not know each other.  The only thing that holds them together is some sense of duty.  They may help each other cook and clean and the usual stuff, but that flame of desire that brought them together wanes.

I think, a lot of us treat Jesus the same way.  We ask Jesus into our hearts (He proposes to us), we give our life to Him (marriage), and He fills us with the Holy Spirit (consummation).  He is the bridegroom and His people are His bride.  He loves us with a passion so deep and great that He suffered intense pain and death for us.

Yet, we go on about our lives.  We get consumed with the day to day things.  I think that’s what happened to the church at Ephesus, too.  They had suffered persecution and endured through that.  They did not tolerate sin like the church at Thyatira.  They did not hold worthless philosophies like the church at Pergamum.  Everything the church at Ephesus did was good, and yet…  Here they are, bound to the Bridegroom by duty, but living as married singles. 

Marriage between two humans involves people who are prone to sin and things can tend to fall apart on either end.  But the marriage between Jesus and His people involves us and an ever loving, sinless, ever patient, holy Bridegroom.  Unlike humans, Jesus fulfills His every promise.  He loves us unconditionally and with a love so great that it’s indescribable.  But yet, we don’t hold up our end.  It’s easy to forget about how the depths of His great love and to return in kind.

Thankfully, relationships can be restored and Jesus is in the restoration business.  So, how we find that love we once had?

Here’s just a couple of my own ideas, it’s not an exhaustive list nor is it something to add to your to do list.

• What was it that drew you to Jesus?  You were overcome by His love once to have accepted Jesus into your life, what captivated you about Him?
• Open and honest communication can do a lot to restore a relationship.  Write a letter, poem, or song.  Read through a couple of the Psalms, not all of them were “happy” but they honored God.
• Get somewhere to spend time alone with Jesus, read through the Gospels and reflect on His love for us.
• Don’t be afraid to have an affectionate display of worship, love, and adoration for Jesus.  Love doesn’t always make sense.  People in love do crazy and senseless things.