First Love

I went through a number of boxes in a closet today. I found a number of old pictures and my old brown leather Bible cover that I was given when I first became a Christian. Looking back in reflection through those old pictures I wonder about the zeal that I had back then. I was not afraid to talk to anyone about the love of Christ, the free offer of grace, and the realities of life without God.

We ebb and flow in our Christian experience, but with the Lord's help we should not lose our zeal for Christ or what the book of Revelation calls 'our first love'. We should all examine ourselves and see where our allegiance lies. At times, for me, the fear of man, holds me back. Other times I feel spiritually empowered to speak of the great things of God. We should strive for perseverance, for growth in grace and knowledge, and above all, a greater dependence on the Lord Jesus Christ. As the song we used to sing in the praise circles went- more of you Lord, less of me.

For the sake of Christ and the next generation of believers, do not lose your first love. I have some praying to do.

“The lush green color of springtime in the congregation [at Ephesus] has disappeared, and the fading shades… of Autumn are now prevalent. To put it differently, the church that Jesus addressed no longer consisted of first generation believers but of second and third generation Christians. These people lacked the enthusiasm their parents and grandparents had demonstrated. They functioned not as propagators of the faith but as caretakers and custodians. There was an obvious deficiency in evangelistic outreach as a result of a status quo mode of thought. They loved the Lord, but no longer with heart, mind, and soul.” –Simon Kistemaker