In his letter to the church of Ephesus, John describes what he heard the Lord say to him. Jesus stars his address to this church by reassuring them that He knew their works, Jesus knew they worked hard for the Lord and had godly patience and endurance. This church was one that could not hear evil and those who were evil. This Church had patience and they worked hard for the Lord and had not become weary. This church was solid, they had a great outreach ministry and wonderful teaching and held on to sound doctrine. By all outward appearances, this was a solid church. Every one would want to be part of that church.
Now this can apply to an individual as we are the church and the Bible calls us the body of Christ. I’m sure you know someone like this, if this isn’t you. A solid christian, that works hard, dedicated and always ready to serve. A person that loves teaching based on sound doctrine, a person in whom there is no evil and who is downright, patient and outgoing, you see what I mean…
Jesus took into full account all the good in this church, yet despite all that he had something against them, something seriously wrong that nothing they did good could cancel it out. What Jesus had against that church was that they had left their first love. I want you to pay attention at this particular word that Jesus used “Left” he did not say lost, but rather Left. This distinction here is very important: something can be lost quite by accident, but leaving is a deliberate act, though it may not happen suddenly (it’s a process little by little). When we lose something we don’t know where to get, but when we leave something we sure know where it is and where to find it. Everything on the outside looked great, but on the inside it was not so.
Is that the condition of many of us ? Are we so preoccupied with the “work” of God that we have lost the passion for the God of the “work” ? Have we lost the zest, the fire, the desire, the passion, that trill that we had when we encountered God and The love of God for the first time? God speaking to Israel in the book of Jeremy and says “ I remember how eager you were to please me (the devotion of your youth), your loyalty, and how you loved me when we were first married (your love as a bride)…”
What happened to you ? What got in the way of that love and passion ? Where have you left your first love ?Are you so preoccupied with what you do for “God” than who God is to you ? It’s time to remember and go back to the first love. It’s time to come back like David, where our deepest desire is to dwell in the house of The Lord and to marvel at his goodness, gaze at his beauty and seek Him in His temple. It’s time to repent, to change direction, to change our attitude and conduct before it’s too late, and go back to the first works. Remember how you used to spend time in His Word ? Remember how you used to pray? Remember the joy in getting together with other believers ? Remember how excited you were about telling others about Jesus ? Come back to your first love.
Verses to Read and Meditate on:
Revelation 2:1-7; Jeremy 2:2; Psalm 27:4; Luke 2:37