Hello, I’m Daniel Westfall on the channel “Pray With Me”.
In John’s vision at the beginning of Revelation, Jesus appears in royal robes with a sword in his mouth. He had messages for seven churches, located in ancient Asia. That’s where western Turkey is today.
Jesus praises each church for its good deeds. Then, like using the sword in his mouth, he delivers warnings.
The first church is Ephesus. Jesus commended them for hard work, endurance in hardship, and for rejecting false apostles. Then he delivered this warning: You have forsaken your first love. Repent, or I will remove your lampstand (Rev 2:4-5).
It’s an odd statement, You have forsaken your first love. Is that like getting a divorce? Or is Jesus complaining that they no longer have the intensity and focus of their first love for him?
“First love” may have two meanings. One is first in time, like a Hollywood coming-of-age story where a young couple meet and fall madly in love. The other meaning of first love is, You’ve changed your priorities. What you should love first and most, you’ve bumped to second place. You’re messing up!
So which “first love” does Jesus mean?
I don’t think he is calling Ephesus back to the early intensity of a Hollywood-type romance. When I was young in the faith, I was in love with Jesus for a few wonderful months. I was full of spiritual intensity and warm feelings, in love with God, rejoicing in his presence.
Do you think I created that experience by meditating and praying and working for God? Or was my experience of love a gift God gave me to draw me further into relationship with him?
Is a mature marriage marked by the same intense feelings as first love? Of course not. For most of us the early passion is replaced by a lifetime of trust and goodwill, a more settled state of affairs.
I think Jesus’ criticism of Ephesus is that, in the long hard work of following him, they misplaced their priorities and diluted their affections. They worked hard for Jesus, but they forgot to cultivate love for him.
I have a similar problem. I find it much easier to do something concrete like write a script or walk the dog, than to pray or to reflect on whether I have a heart of love for Jesus. Especially if he doesn’t give me warm feelings of intimacy and relationship and peace like I’ve had in the past.
Let’s pray.
Jesus, we hear your invitation to review our loves and to renew our first love.
I remember the intensity of youthful love, but I can hardly repeat that at my age. In the busyness of church and work and life and family, my love for you becomes distant and diminished.
Today, I give you my heart again. Renew my love for you. May it grow larger than my other loves. May my work today not be a substitute for lost love, but an expression of a love ever growing and renewing.
Amen.
I’m Daniel, on the channel “Pray with Me”.
YouTube channel: Pray with Me – YouTube
Pray with Me 