Thursday, June 13, 2024
The Gradual Fall
“Look how far you have fallen! Turn back to me and do the works you did at first. If you don’t repent, I will come and remove your lampstand from its place among the churches.” (Revelation 2:5 NLT)
Remember when you first came to faith in Jesus Christ? What a joy it was to pray. You never knew that you could talk to God, and you realized that you could call on Him wherever you were, no matter what you were facing. Prayer was a privilege, and you utilized it.
Then there was the Bible, the user’s manual of life. You finally had the Book that told you how to live your life, what your priorities ought to be, and how to be a good husband, a good wife, and a good parent. And most importantly, it told you how to get to Heaven.
And church? You couldn’t wait to get to church. You would go to a weekend service, a midweek service, and listen to Bible teaching on the radio. You read Christian books. You couldn’t get enough in your life.
Sharing your faith was easy for you. It was the overflow of your Christ-filled life, and you were always looking for opportunities to talk to someone about Jesus.
But things have changed. You still study the Bible, but not as much as you used to. You still pray, but it’s a quick prayer here and there. Sure, you go to church. In fact, you sit in the same place every week, and no one had better try to take your seat. However, if the preacher goes over his allotted time, you’re not happy. And you sometimes have to leave early to beat the traffic.
You share your faith—once in a while. But instead of having a conversation with someone about Christ, you feel that others should simply look at your example as a follower of Jesus.
Here’s the question: Have you left your first love?
Jesus said to the church of Ephesus, “Look how far you have fallen! Turn back to me and do the works you did at first” (Revelation 2:5 NLT).
Does this mean that leaving your first love is falling spiritually? Yes, it does, because it can lead to worse things.
A classic example of this is King David. The Bible describes him as “a man after [God’s] own heart (1 Samuel 13:14 NLT) and “the sweet psalmist of Israel” (2 Samuel 23:1 NLT). But he also was an adulterer and, in effect, a murderer.
David didn’t start that way. When the Bible first introduces us to him, he is a young boy watching his flock of sheep and writing love songs to the Lord. But fast-forward a number of years, and David is kicking back at a time when kings would lead their troops into battle. We don’t read of him writing beautiful psalms or singing to the Lord. We don’t see his tender heart.
He left his first love, and as a result, his life was a mess. It all fell apart for him.
Have you left your first love? It can happen so easily. Get back to your first love for Jesus Christ. Love Him with all your heart, soul, and mind.
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