First Love

Today is the day after Valentine’s Day. Hopefully, you remembered yesterday. If not, then you are in trouble! Good luck with that… Anyway, Valentine’s Day serves as our culture’s traditional way to express love for your sweetheart on a special day. Of course, you knew that…and likely did that.

This reminds us today that we have an even more important love we should always remember and it is our First Love. You will recall that the apostle John wrote of the church at Ephesus which did many things right. Jesus said, “I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance…” (Revelation 2:2). He commends them for these things they did right—but then condemns them for the one thing they did wrong. Jesus said, “Yet I have this against you: You have forsaken your first love…” (v. 4). This turns out to be the most important thing! So what is He talking about?

The word Love refers to the passionate, red-hot love of a newlywed couple. Do you remember? By the way, what happened? The honeymoon ended. The honeymoon has been described humorously as “the time between I do and you’d better.” But seriously, mature love will grow and go beyond the honeymoon. Great love will grow sweeter every day!

Moreover, the honeymoon with Jesus should go on forever. Is your love for Jesus growing? Have you ever loved Jesus more than today? Have you lost your first love? Do you need to rekindle the fire?

In Ephesus, their love for the Lord Jesus—well, it was missing. What about us? Is it possible that we are involved in church programs that teach about Jesus but we have lost our passion for Jesus? Has our Christian experience become routine?

Is this serious? Absolutely! Jesus said the greatest commandment is to “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind” (Matthew 22:37). This defines why we do what we do. You can do all the right things for the wrong reasons. The right reason is love. If we fail to obey the first commandment, it does not matter what else we do. In baseball, if you miss first base, it does not matter how far you hit the ball, or how many bases you touch. If you miss the first base, you are O-U-T!

So what should we do? Jesus said, “Remember the height from which you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first” (2:5).

Remember what Jesus has meant to you and what Jesus has done for you. Think back to a time when you loved Jesus more than today. Review your experience and note your decline. Literally, change your mind. Do the things you did and you will feel the way you used to feel. That’s what love will do!

Let this Valentine’s Day remind us of our First Love—Jesus!

Devotedly yours,
Pastor Ron