Remembering Your First Love

Happy Valentine's Day, friends! As people around the world celebrate love and relationships, I've felt led to write about God--- who is love by his very nature--- and the kind of love we are to show him.

In the book of Revelation John receives a vision of the days to come, and the early chapters include words of warning from the Lord Jesus to seven churches. I would encourage you to read the first three chapters of Revelation for context of this passage, which contains a warning given to the church at Ephesus:

"I know your deeds and your labor and perseverance, and that you cannot tolerate evil people, and you have put those who call themselves apostles to the test, and they are not, and you found them to be false; and you have perseverance and have endured on account of My name, and have not become weary. But I have this against you, that you have left your first love. Therefore, remember from where you have fallen, and repent, and do the deeds you did at first; or else I am coming to you and I will remove your lampstand from its place—unless you repent." ---Revelation 2:2-5

In my Bible reading and study, this has quickly become one of the most convicting passages for me personally. As someone who was raised in the church and has been striving to follow Jesus as long as I can remember, apathy creeps in far too often. Perhaps this idea of "just going through the motions" is something that resonates with you.

Have you ever found yourself singing worship songs on a Sunday morning entirely from muscle memory without a thought running through your mind? I'm guilty of that. What's more, since moving to the South, I've found that "cultural Christianity" makes this general facade of worship all too easy. Similarly, I attend college at a massive Christian school, and find that the routine we are required to participate in as students, while rooted in wonderful intentions, contributes to an environment of spiritual apathy.

So many of us are sleepwalking through spiritual disciplines (like our quiet time or church gatherings) and are neglecting our first love, just like the church at Ephesus. This is not the kind of relationship with Jesus that we are called to, if it can even be called a relationship.

Some scholars argue that term "first love" in the passage refers to our love for Jesus, while others teach that it refers to how we love others. Regardless, I think many of us are lacking in zeal in both of these areas.

However, I don't think that this is because we are incapable of maintaining such a dedicated kind of love. Again, today is Valentine's Day and there will be no lack of bold displays of affection. As people, we can be so committed to one another and are willing to put in time and effort to keep these relationships alive and healthy. Are we doing the same in our relationship with God? We wouldn't dream of thoughtlessly trudging through an anniversary with a significant other, but we so quickly forget memorable things the Lord has done for us.

And, friends! The Lord is to be our first love! We should treat him as such instead of giving him the scraps of our time and affection. He loves us so well! Take his sacrifice on the cross into consideration.

"There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends." ---John 15:13

Another defining characteristic of my large Christian university is an obsession with marriage. A popular first day of class question from professors is "Who is engaged or married?" Chapel speakers are always asked to tell the story of how they met their spouse. Students strive to be engaged as early as their late teens and if they graduate without a set wedding date, they wonder if something is wrong with them.

Friends, I have fell victim to this mindset more times than I want to admit. When I look around and I'm the only girl in my class without a ring on her finger, it stings. I've questioned God's timing, and torn myself to shreds in an attempt to pinpoint the qualities that barred boys from even asking me on a first date.

Idolatry, much? Like so many others around me, I had placed marriage on a pedestal right up there with (if not higher than) God himself. That's forgetting your first love if I've ever seen it. I was, and still can be, so focused on wanting to love and be loved by other people that I lose sight of the One who loves me like no other.

Beloved, where is your heart at today? Do you recognize Christ as your first love? If not, what is sitting in his place?

Dear readers, I'm praying that your love for Jesus would be rekindled and set aflame. How deep and wide and vast is his love for you! I'm sitting in that truth today and hope you do too. Remember your First Love, who laid his life down for you.

References

Keener, Craig S. The IVP Bible Background Commentary : New Testament. Downers Grove, Illinois : InterVarsity Press, 2014.