So many of us are getting discouraged and ready at times to throw in the towel. We weep and we pray and carry on, while every day starts out with some new evil or discouraging word. The church, God’s people, are being tested on every level with many hoping to shut us down altogether. It is time to reflect and remember…
In Revelation 2: 2-4 Jesus tells the church: “I know thy works and thy labor and thy patience, and how thou cannot bear them which are evil: and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars. 3 And hast borne, and hast patience, and for my name’s sake hast labored and hast not fainted. 4 Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love.”
What condition were you in when you first met Jesus…when you realized your need for forgiveness and asked Him to come into your heart? Most of us were a mess while others were simply lost and seeking a deeper meaning to their life. Every situation and every heart is different so each one’s experience was different, yet the same in many ways. We had an emptiness that only God’s love could fill. Remember how it felt that day to finally lay all your cares and worries at the feet of one you knew held the answers. It was a step of faith once we believed that Jesus was the way, the truth and the life we were seeking. And it changed our live forever…or it should have.
How excited we were to begin our new life in Christ and to meet any challenges that came… knowing we were no longer alone, but that help was only a prayer away. If you were blessed, as I was, with a church family that embraced you and was always there with encouragement and words of wisdom, the joy was beyond words. But best of all, Jesus was there, assuring you of His love and guiding you through each situation…especially the ones that had seemed impossible without Him. What a joy it was to serve, trust and obey one who loved so much, even before we knew Him. How had we ever survived without Him?
Many were the times we got discouraged and people and life left us disappointed. Times when we took our eyes off of Jesus and felt the depression the world often causes with all its negativity and hateful noise. Satan works harder than ever once we believe, so it’s important to know how he works and what to beware of. We learned Bible verses and hid these precious words in our hearts so, when we need them, they are brought to mind. It is his closeness and the truth in these words that keep us strong in the faith. We are assured that to follow Him is more important and fulfilling than anything we can follow in this world. Jesus is more than just a Savior, He is what holds us up and moves us forward, our rock, our best friend and more…He is our first love. Have too many of us left Him behind?
Revelation 2 continues: 5 Remember therefore from where thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent…7 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches: To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life which is in the midst of the paradise of God.
Let us hear these words and heed their warning. The church is in danger of being cast aside unless we have ears to hear and hearts to repent. Let us get back to our first love…serving Jesus and making sure that no one is left behind. Let us, as Jesus did when He was 12 years old, be about our Father’s business…which is seeking those who are lost and to bring them in to the arms of a God who loves them. But before we can reach the lost, we must renew our own faith and ask His help in reviving the old feelings of love, joy and the need to share. Then we can introduce them to our first love, Jesus…the love that overcomes.