In Revelation 2, Jesus is speaking to the church in Ephesus and He actually commends them for a lot of things. They have worked hard, persevered through difficult times, stood firm in their faith, and refused to tolerate false teaching. By all appearances, they were doing a lot of things right.
But then Jesus says something that I think is worth paying attention to. In Revelation 2:4 He says, “Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken the love you had at first.” They were doing all the right things, but somewhere along the way, they had lost something important. They had lost their first love.
I do a fair amount of marriage counseling as a pastor, and one of the things I often talk about with couples is what happens after the honeymoon phase is over? When we’re first dating, everything is exciting. We can’t wait to see each other. We make time for each other. We think about each other throughout the day. But eventually, life happens. The excitement settles down, responsibilities pile up, and sometimes those feelings we once had don’t seem quite as strong.
That’s why marriage is about more than feelings. We’re called to love one another for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health. Love is a commitment. It’s something we continue to choose, nurture, and invest in. And I wonder if sometimes the same thing happens in our relationship with the Lord.
When we first come to Christ, there’s an excitement about our faith. We can’t wait to read our Bibles, spend time in prayer, worship, and learn more about God. But over time, our faith can become routine. Maybe we still attend church. Maybe we still serve. Maybe we still do all the things Christians are supposed to do. But somewhere along the way, we can lose that excitement, that passion, that closeness we once experienced.
The good news is that Jesus doesn’t just point out their problem. He gives them the way back. In verse 5, He tells them to remember where they had fallen from, to repent, and do the things they did at first.
In other words, go back to the things that helped nurture that relationship in the beginning. Make time for Him. Get back into His Word. Spend time in prayer. Worship Him. Don’t allow our relationship with Jesus to become just another routine or religious responsibility.
Here’s what I think we need to remember: We don’t maintain our love for the Lord by simply going through the motions. We maintain our love by continuing to pursue Him.
Where are we at in our relationship with the Lord? Have we become so accustomed to the routines of faith that we’ve lost sight of the relationship behind them? If that’s where we find ourselves, the invitation is still the same. Remember. Repent. Return.
Let’s not be satisfied with simply doing things for Jesus. Let’s make sure we’re continuing to nurture our relationship with Him. Because Jesus doesn’t just want our activity. He wants our hearts.
