First Love

When I first became a Christian, I was very excited about being saved. In my zeal, I wanted to go out and teach the Word to the whole world despite the fact my family thought I had lost my senses. So much so, my parents offered to pay for psychiatric therapy. I simply loved the Lord and wanted to share Him with everyone (Acts 9:17-22) even though being new to Christianity I knew nothing. Being a "babe in Christ" I was unlearned in His Word and didn't know any discretionary principals when approaching people. As I look back today, it is no wonder my parents thought I was crazy! My enthusiasm was all over the place. The simple fact was, Jesus had become my first love.

Is your zeal the same today as it was the day you accepted Jesus Christ as your Savior? When a believer does not depend on God daily, his love for God can grow cold. Jesus addressed this issue when He spoke to the church of Ephesus. Jesus said: “I have somewhat against you because you have left your first love. Remember therefore from where you art fallen, and repent, and do the first works.” (Revelation 2:4–5). If you find yourself lacking the zeal you once had or if walking with Jesus isn't appealing any longer, you can ask God to look upon you with understanding to rekindle your love for Him.

If the fire has gone but you feel you want it back, be encouraged that the desire to get back to where you were, is a gift in and of itself. That desire is the planted Word (seed) waiting to spring forth once again. The seed of God's Word is still there and has rooted itself in your heart. After a dormant winter when spring arrives, a plant pushes itself up through the soil once again. Though it seemingly died and disappeared for a season, the roots never did and that plant regenerates again. It's the same with every soul who has the Word living in them. I went through many rough years where it seemed the world around me was crumbling away. I faced broken relationships, depression, bitterness and resentment, lost friends, and my faith suffered. I was on the edge of walking away, but I always knew I wanted to be back where I was, where I loved Jesus and felt secure in His love. I knew I wanted to have a zeal for God again. He took that little spark and kept working away until I came out of my winter season. I’m richer now for having gone through it. And I can see now how my faith is deeper than my circumstances, it’s woven through the core of my innermost being.

We must learn that we serve the Lord by “abiding” in His teaching: “If you abide in my word, you are my disciples indeed” (John 8:31). This needs to become a daily habit. If you have never struggled with a loss of passion, you will. There will be a day when you experience the cold of "winter." (Maybe you're there now!) You'll lack enthusiasm. Reading the Bible will seem like an extra chore. Staying faithful may lose its appeal. Reaching out to God in prayer may feel like it requires more energy than you have. The bad news is, that day will come. The good news is, it will pass. When it does, you’ll be richer, stronger and more satisfied. Stay in His Word. Don't give up! You’ll have a greater understanding of what it means to live for Christ, a greater appreciation of all He’s done, and a rekindled flame to be about His business.

There's no doubt our walk with Christ can be filled with struggles and victories but it's what do you do when the struggles come. How do you handle those days where you’re not as hot for Jesus as you use to be? How do you maneuver through bad days, draining thoughts, and emotions and feelings that don’t serve you? How do you shift gears and start driving again when you just don’t feel like it? What do you do when you see that you’re going in the wrong direction? How do you get back on track when you see that you're drifting away or after you have fallen? Stay close to God by crucifying your flesh daily, mortifying its deeds, getting power over it. What exactly do I mean? That the deeds of the body are put to death (forsaken) one by one as they come to light. In other words: I stop doing things when God's Word reveals them to be wrong (Romans 8:13; 1 John 1:6-8). Pray without ceasing. Make the Bible a part of your daily and/or nightly routine, and dedicate a specific time to God and keep that appointment. Remember you are a work in progress, so continue making adjustments. And if you fall, bounce back quickly, and realign yourself with Christ. But remember, without consistency, you'll be prone to wander off again.
Until next time,
-Pat-