(The following is the December 1 devotional from my Next Step Devotions book. Before reading it, I suggest you read Revelation 2 and pay close attention to verses 1-7.)

What are your earliest memories of love? Perhaps it’s the care and compassion shown by parents and family. As you grew and experienced feelings from infatuation to deep love for another, a new world opened up with exciting possibilities and occasional heartbreak.

What about your love for Christ? Do you recall an initial experience of coming to genuine faith? What thoughts and emotions accompanied that moment? How grateful were you for God’s love and forgiveness? How did you react in word and deed immediately following conversion? If you came to Christ long ago, how different is your relationship with him now compared to earlier?

God’s message to the church in Ephesus acknowledges several positive things. They had many good works and didn’t tolerate evil people or false teachers. They persevered through times of persecution. But John writes, “I have this against you: You have abandoned the love you had at first. Remember then how far you have fallen; repent, and do the works at first” (vv. 4-5).

What happens if we don’t nurture our marriage relationship? It can slip into one of going through daily routines without the love and excitement that first characterized the union. Love is more than feelings; we should demonstrate it in tangible ways. But isn’t it best to have both internal heartfelt love and actions that prove it?

So it is in our relationship with Christ. We haven’t yet experienced more than a fraction of what is possible in our relationship with him. Why settle for routine actions associated with our faith and risk losing the deep and abiding love we once had for our Savior?

Next Step:
Ponder your most valued human relationship and your relationship with Christ. Have you lost your first love for either? Pray for God to change your heart if needed and for wisdom in restoring that love.