“But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first.” – Revelation 2:4
In many ways, the Christians in Ephesus were in good shape. They were DOING all the right things. Working hard… Enduring some opposition… Rejecting false teachers… Their theology and practice were both sound. But their hearts weren’t really in it. They checked the boxes of Christianity regularly but they’d lost the essence of the faith – love for Jesus and for one another. They were going through the activities of religion but had lost the transformational core of the Christians faith. LOVE!
This can happen to any follower of Jesus, which means it’s worth checking your own heart from time to time. Are you doing good things for the Lord? Excellent! Are you growing and practicing discernment to reject the many false teachers, preachers, and “prophets” at work in our world today? Wonderful! Are you madly, passionately in love with Jesus??? Do you love His people and spending time with them???
If so, then you’re in a great place spiritually! If not, find ways to regain that love for Jesus and for His people. Sit down and read one of the Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, or John) from beginning to end. Stream a high quality depiction of the life, love, and work of Jesus. Choose a book about Jesus that’s intended to build your love for Him. Meditate on what Jesus has saved you from. Consider all the ways He’s changed you. Spend an hour or two singing along to your favorite worship songs online. Let His goodness, gentleness, kindness, mercy, grace, patience, and love soak into your soul. Then turn those qualities toward your brothers and sisters in Christ (especially the difficult ones). Always be careful not to lose your love! #FollowJesus