Remember Your First Love
In Revelation chapter two, when the Spirit speaks to the church, He has one thing against the Ephesian church, namely, they have “lost their first love”.
What is a first love and what difference does it make?
Well, I remember when I first fell in love with Sharon. I would do everything in my power to spend time with her.
I would miss meals; I would drive through storms; I would hitchhike from college 200 miles;
I would clean up for her; change my clothes and wash my hair, and brush my teeth!
I would serve her without reservation. I would open her door; take her shopping; change my schedule to meet hers.
I would spend money on her, and in fact, no amount was too much!
I would write to her, and I would read and re-read her letters.
We would plan upcoming events and our future together. In fact nothing could stop us. Nothing was too daunting for us to accomplish together!
If we were broke it did not matter, we could live on love. If there was sacrifice and inconvenience it did not matter because, we could live on love!!
Together we could overcome any obstacle!!!
We believed all things were possible, nothing was too difficult, simply because our relationship together was the primary thing and therefore, our love was all we really needed!!!
Let me ask you, have you lost your first love???
Is your relationship with God all important to you??
Do you wish to spend all your time with Him? Does inconvenience keep you away? Is the cost or sacrifice that He demands too great? Are the obstacles too great, the discomfort of following Him too much for you to carry?
Do you read and re-read His letter? Are you changing your plans and your schedule for Him? Is it your great desire to stay in constant communication with Him?
Do you worship God with a first love nothing can stop us kind of abandon???
Will you do anything for him?..
I am not at all comfortable with heights. I really like keeping my feet on the ground at all times. This being the case, I have a tremendous fear of Ferris Wheels.
On my very first date with Sharon, I took her to an amusement park, and the very first ride that we rode on was the Ferris wheel! And, of course, they stopped it with us at the very top where Sharon rocked it wildly, and discovered my great fear of heights because of my knocking knees and white knuckles!
I had a “first love” love for Sharon. A love that was willing to do the thing I most feared for her sake, even if it meant riding the Ferris wheel.
Do you have a “first love “love for God?
Do you have an I’ll ride the Ferris wheel love for God love, able to do for Him the thing you fear the most?
Do you realize? A church that has a “first love” love for God has no insurmountable obstacles, nothing that it cannot accomplish with God, nothing it won’t do for God!
As John said, let the church hear what the spirit says!
We cannot afford to become complacent and nonchalant about our worship and love of God! We should consistently re-evaluate how much we love God and why we worship Him.
The bible says concerning latter day worshipers that they will: "have a form of godliness but denying its power”.
The “power” of the church is born out of our love for God because it determines our relationship with Him, and our relationship with God is what makes the church powerful.
If you have lost that first love relationship, Christ says first repent! And second, return to doing the things you did at first, the things you did when your love was new and fresh and God was your first love!
by Pastor Dan Orshaw
