Christian

My First Love

Cindy Dawson

I was stopped in my tracks as I read the letter to the church in Ephesus (Revelation 2:1-6).

1″I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked people, that you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false. 3 You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary … 6You hate the practices of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.”

It sounds like a strong church! But one thing is going to bring them down. What is it?

4 “Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken the love you had at first.5 Consider how far you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place.”

How had they changed? What things did they stop doing?

The Amplified Bible says, “… you have left your first love [you have lost the depth of love that you first had for Me].”

When Jesus was asked, “What is the greatest commandment?” he replied,

“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment.” Matthew 22:37

I began to ponder this. How do we love the Lord with all our heart, soul, and mind? Would we even know if we, like the Church at Ephesus, left our first love? I’m sure the Ephesians thought they loved the Lord with all their hearts. After all, look at all the great things they were  doing. But something must have changed.

I have searched the Scriptures, prayed, and asked other Christians, seeking the answer to this question: What does it mean to love the Lord with your whole heart?

Is it an emotion? An act of our will? Obedience? Praise?

Is it possible that the Ephesians went about the activities of church life, minus the passion of one who has been forgiven? Did they forget how thankful they once were for His forgiveness and love?

I can only infer that as we go about the business of “church”, it is possible to do many good things, yet forget how we first loved Him.

Perhaps now we are busy doing (like Martha) instead of sitting at His feet (like Mary).

The importance  of “loving God with all my heart” has been on my mind for several weeks. I ask myself, Do I love Jesus with all my heart? And more importantly, what does Jesus think?

I started thinking about how I show love to my children. For one thing, I tell them – a lot!. So last night I started my prayer like this:

Lord, I love you. I love you with all my heart and soul and mind. Thank you for forgiving me of my sins. I remember how on fire I was for you when I first experienced the forgiveness that “washed me white as snow” and “removed my sins “as far as the east is from the west”.

 My heart was flooded with peace because the heaviness of my soul, the anguish of guilt vanished.. I remember how I devoured the Scriptures as I discovered your promises. Give me a heart like David, whose Psalms reflect his deep love for you …..

So let us think back to how we first loved Him. Let us ask ourselves, Do I tell Him that I love Him everyday? And let us ask Him to help us to never forsake the love we had at first.

Scriptures

 For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
so great is his love for those who fear him;

as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.

As a father has compassion on his children,
    so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him; Psalm 103:11-13

Though your sins are like scarlet,
They shall be as white as snow;
Though they are red like crimson,
They shall be as wool. Isaiah 1:18 

With Love, 

Cindy

This is My Journey Unscripted.

Click this link to learn more about Jesus: Who Is Jesus?

realchristianwomen.blog 

13 thoughts on “My First Love”

  2. Mary and Martha are two people I have always related to. It seems I am either one or the other. Martha may have been “getting things done,” but if Jesus had needed something at that gathering, He would have had to flag her down. Mary, on the other hand, was sitting right there at His feet. All He had to do was turn to her and ask, “Mary, dear, would you please get Me a drink of water?” and His wish was her command – and her privilege. The one serving God best isn’t necessarily the one who’s moving the most…

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  3. Amen! It reminds me of a part in I Corinthians (I’m pretty sure) where Paul says that if he does all these things without love then he is just a clashing cymbal! Love is the missing ingredient in a legalist’s religion.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  4. Super sweet, thank you…we finished a sermon series at church months ago and our pastor talked about the comparison on loving and putting God first and how sometimes we lose that luster along the way..so we must be mindful and go back to what caused us to first love God and do those very things and he talked about the same is true in marriage—if your marriage is struggling you go back to those first things that attracted you to one another:) love is essential!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  5. I personally had left my ((First Love)) who is Jesus Christ Once upon a time. I was then a Baby in Christ. I had left Him for reasons that some of us has done, are thought about doing. Pleasing others, and not Pleasing Him. I was trying to please(1) Relatives (2) Friends etc. I was more concern of what they thought of me, are what they would say about me. When I had left ((My First Love)) my life was going further and further down because I had went back into this dark world. I came back to Him asking for His Forgiveness. And my life has not been the same since. ((Blessed)). He took me back, and today I’m Position for Greatness In His Name. I made a sacrifice to let go of what I thought was important. To Who and Whom I know is my everything. We must continue being obedient to the One who Saves Lives, Who will there when no one else will be. His Love is Faithful!! My life is in His Hands. :). God Bless!! ((Hugs)) 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

Leave a comment