Don't Lose Your First Love
Dear Friends,
"Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?" Jesus replied: "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment.” (Matthew 22:36-38)
Recalling our youth, we might think that our first love was the guy or gal we met in high school or college who took our breath away, who was that first person we felt so attracted to and enamored with that we wanted to spend all our time with him or her. What a great feeling that was! As Christian adults, we can experience that same feeling of exultation when we consciously and intentionally remember that God is our true first love. So, how is it that we sometimes lose touch with our first love? Why does that happen?
Steve Douglass, the current president of Campus Crusade for Christ, offers several reasons why it can be difficult for people to maintain their first love. He says that it is easy to be too busy to find time to spend with God, and confident people can think too highly of their own abilities. That’s what leads us to fall under the misperception that we can take care of everything ourselves. After all, we are experienced professionals, dedicated parents and intelligent individuals who overcome challenges and solve problems everyday, right?
Maybe so. However, when it comes to our overall life’s plan, only God can overcome challenges and solve problems. He repeatedly tells us that He alone should be our refuge and our strength, not material things like our job, house, money, what we know, and not the acceptance and approval of people, not our ministry and not even our family. We need to continually seek Him in all things and at all times, and turn away from finding fulfillment in how well we think we control situations, how much we think we impress people, and how good we think we are at finding the answers to life’s questions. Relying on ourselves for all these things is a form of worshipping false idols and it can lead us to lose our first love.
If you think you may have lost your first love, be encouraged that it can be restored! As the passage above from Matthew tells us, engage your mind, heart, soul, and strength so that every part of you loves God the way He should be loved. Pray without ceasing, giving thanks to God for His provision in your life, and asking for His hand to guide you in all your endeavors. In return, He will bless you as your protector and provider, in all things and for all time.
Have you ever felt too self-confident and realized that you had lost your first love? What prompted you to realize this, and how did you return to your first love? Share your story and inspire others.
Blessings,
Ron
Thanks Ron. This is a good reminder of what our priorities should be. I pray that the Holy Spirit would help me and my family to love the Lord with our all and "seek first His Kingdom."
Blessings!
Rob
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Between our jobs that brings so much stress, and our homes, family etc. is easy to loose our First Love. I am dealing with things in my own family that I have no control over, but I still worry about them every day, I put them at our Lord's feet every morning, but the worrying takes the joy away from my heart...thank you for reminding me of what's important. The enemy takes pride specially in taking the joy away from my heart.
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It's obviously what I am looking for! Thank you for the information!
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I totally agree with all that has been written above
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