Return to Your First Love

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. You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary. 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.⁶ But you have this in your favor: You hate the practices of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the victorious one, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God. Revelation 2:2–7.

What happens when we fall in love? We feel like we cannot live without that person. The thought of being away from them discourages us. When we are in love, we are willing to do anything, even walk for hours, just to see them briefly. We become willing to set aside our own preferences to belong to them. We want daily alone time, and every moment we can get. We think about them constantly. We are willing to make any sacrifice. We become creative, always looking for ways to surprise them, to please them, and to make them feel loved. Being in love is a feeling that brings joy and life. It motivates us each day. Who does not enjoy feeling loved and knowing they hold an important place in someone’s heart? But relationships must be cultivated. If we do not nurture them, they slowly grow cold, and what was once passion becomes routine. The same thing happens in our relationship with God. When we are newly converted, everything feels like “peaches and cream.” We tell everyone about our love for Jesus, we want everyone to know there is a new reason to live, and we speak about it with passion. We seek Him constantly, and the thought of being distant from God overwhelms us. We give Him everything, our full 100%, and we are willing to leave everything to serve Him. Unfortunately, as time passes, whether through the daily busyness of work or the pressures of life, illness, exhaustion, financial trials, stress, unforgiveness, and more, this first love begins to cool. Without realizing it, we slowly drift away from what once was our everything. We stop seeking intimacy with God, we begin to pray less, we abandon our secret place, and we move further and further away from Him, gradually losing what once gave our life meaning. This distance produces discouragement, frustration, and confusion. We stop giving our best and settle for crumbs, and what is most painful is that the enemy takes advantage, bringing distraction and “noise” into our lives that causes spiritual deafness. He makes us believe we are spiritually fine while distracting us into complacency and blindness that prevent us from seeing how far we have drifted.

When we stop intimacy with God, we fall into self-sufficiency. We develop a false sense of control over our lives, believing we do not need Him and can continue in our own strength. Abandoning our first love leads us to stop giving our best. It opens the door to doubt and fear, and slowly, the enemy succeeds in silencing us. We stop sharing the wonders God has done in our lives; instead, our words become complaints, negativity, and criticism. We begin to see only the negative in everything and everyone, blaming others for our misfortunes, without realizing we have drifted into a deep pit ourselves. We no longer enjoy the beauty of life, we stop celebrating small victories, and we focus only on failures and what we lack, forgetting how blessed we truly are.

In this Revelation verse, God gives us a warning. He reminds us of the consequences of leaving our first love and calls us to repentance. This is what God is asking of us: there is no time to waste. It is time to recover intimacy with Him; it is the only thing that will help us overcome in a world full of evil and chaos. It is time to wake from spiritual numbness and begin again with greater strength. The time of pretending to be a Christian is over; it is time to fight to recover that love for God, pursue deeper intimacy than before, and allow God to once again take His rightful place in our lives. It is time to immerse ourselves in His presence daily and surrender full control to Him. It is time to share with others what God has done in our lives. It is time to bring peace, love, and blessings to those who need them. But we cannot give what we do not have; therefore, it is essential to study the Word and, above all, to live and apply it daily. It is time to be light in the midst of darkness, to speak boldly what is true, and to remain faithful. It is time to destroy the enemy’s lies, put on the armor of God from Ephesians 6, and go out to win souls. It is time to embrace our calling and keep our lamps burning with enough oil, so that when the bridegroom comes, we are not found unprepared.

Let us not allow busyness and routine to steal our relationship with God, nor allow sin to creep in or be tolerated. Let us strengthen our pursuit of intimacy with Him. Let us seek Him in spirit and in truth, and He will take care of all our needs. It is time to make a difference. Let it be evident that it is no longer we who live, but Christ who lives in us. Let our lives testify to who we are in Christ. Let us return to our first love. Let us give glory and honor to the One who truly deserves it. Let us set aside distractions and make time to be with God, to pray, and to intercede for others. Interceding for others is deeply rewarding and helps us grow.

What good is it to speak in tongues, to say beautiful words, or to do many works if we lack what matters most, His love? That love and passion for souls is only born through intimacy with God. So, let’s examine ourselves and return to that first love.