Don't Forget Your First Love

“How are you?” A question we’re asked, a question we ask.

Good, Busy. Good. Busy, busy, busy

Maybe you, like me, find yourself rushing around, but never on time. Stretched to the limits, but coming up empty. Trying to be present in the moment, where grace is, but finding yourself pulled this way, that way, and then the other way again.

Good. Busy. Good. So busy, busy, busy.

To-do lists surround us, never ending, always growing longer. We have calls to make, people to see, projects to complete, bills to pay, places to be. We’re searching for something, anything, someone, to hold onto that isn’t going to move underneath us constantly.

Something good. Steady. Good. Steady, steady, steady.

In the midst of us, our messiness, our rushing, our never ending busyness, he stands. And all of our busyness fades in light of his steady, constant presence.

Good. Steady. GOD. Steady, steady, steady.

It’s not that the things on our to-do list are bad. The lists may be filled to the brim with good works, done for the kingdom. But we’re wearing our busyness badges of honor, glorifying our lack of sleep, lack of time, lack of silence.

All of these things done in the name of Him.

In adoration this week, in front of our good, steady God, I read these words out of the Book of Revelations and they hit me like a ton of bricks.

“I know your works, your labor, and your endurance, and that you cannot tolerate the wicked. You have tested those who call themselves apostles but are not, and discovered that they are impostors. Moreover, you have endurance and have suffered for my name, and you have not grown weary.”

The hours you’ve clocked in? He sees them. The passion you have for growing the kingdom? He sees it. The suffering you’ve endured for Him? He knows. He sees.

So naturally, the Lord is proud of all the things we’ve done, the long hours, the sleepless nights, right? Bring on the words of affirmation!

“Yet, I hold this against you; you have lost the love you had at first.”

Lord. Wait. That’s not what I wanted to hear.

We’ve come with our plans, our perfect plans, all lined up and ready to be implemented. And we’ve forgotten Him.

So how do we recover this first love, that we’ve lost along the path lined with good intentions and busy plans?

“Realize how far you have fallen. Repent, and do the works you did at first. Otherwise, I will come to you and remove your lamp-stand from its place, unless you repent.”

There isn’t a pretty conclusion to this thought - and perhaps this is written more for myself than anyone. But maybe it will spur inside of you the same realizations it did in my heart when I read those words.

Let’s remember our first love. Let’s return to Him.