Your First Love: Ephesus Revisited

Revelation 2:2-4

² “I know your works, your labor, your patience, and that you cannot bear those who are evil. And you have tested those who say they are apostles and are not, and have found them liars; ³ and you have persevered and have patience, and have labored for My name’s sake and have not become weary. ⁴ Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love.”

I was listening to a message on this passage this morning and it really grabbed me.  I've blogged about these verses before, but the message made me want to hit on this again, because I realized that you can be doing everything right, you can dot the i’s and cross the t’s and still miss it.

I started thinking about what loving God looks like for me.  If we are not careful, our relationship with God can be nothing more than a routine or ritual.  I think God wants much more, so I personalized it trying to figure out what that looks like.  When Michelle and I first started dating, she would do things to make me feel loved.  There were times when she just made me feel special.  We could have nothing to do, but she just wanted to be with me.  She could take an empty day and make it full.  It’s why I still love her today. 

When I compare my love for God to my marriage, I could not imagine what my marriage would be like if Michelle only came to me when she had problems, things she wanted, or if she only came to me when she needed help doing something. Unfortunately, that’s how we treat God sometimes.  It's one of those thoughts where I had to stop and just tell God, "I'm sorry".  I know He wants more from me than this.

When’s the last time you prayed to God just because you wanted to talk Him?  When’s the last time you did something for God that had nothing to do with you?  I think we are so results driven, that it’s easy to forget that this is truly a relationship we have with Him and not a request line.

These verses are calling us not only to serve and stand, but to do these things on a foundation of love for God.  If you rip the foundation out from under the house, the house will fall.  We need to love God before we take the first step in ministry, before we quote the first verse of scripture to someone, before we pray the first prayer.  Love changes everything.  It changes how people see you and not only you, but how people see God through you.  Your first love must always be first, then everything else you do should be done in love.  It's the difference between a full relationship with God and a to do list.