If You've Left Your First Love, It's Not Too Late To Return Maybe your relationship with God has stalled or stagnated. Perhaps you're attracted by the world, but jaded by the church. You even may have spurned the faith you once embraced. Or you might just wonder if God's love ever could satisfy you again. It can. Jesus repeatedly challenges His followers to love Him, not just serve Him. Devotion always precedes duty. If a cold, efficient Christian service has replaced the warm, loving relationship you once had with the Lord, reignite your heart's flame. How? Revelation 2:5 offers a three-step plan for reviving your first love for Jesus Christ: "Remember therefore from where you have fallen, repent, and do the deeds you did at first." REMEMBER Remember who Jesus is. Think back to your early walk with Christ, when there was no doubt He was the object of your affection. Remind yourself of His attributes, abilities, and place as your Savior. Recall His love and sacrifice for you. You'll have a cross to bear as you reject the world, but living under His lordship is the only way to truly live. Remember who you are. Sharpen the reflection in your spiritual mirror. See yourself as a child of the King. You are crucified and resurrected with Christ: dead to sin, alive in Him. You are no longer a slave to Satan. Thanks to the Emancipation Proclamation of Calvary, you're free to serve a new master. Remember what awaits you. A right relationship with Christ offers contentment and blessings, both earthly and heavenly. As an obedient believer, you are promised that all your needs - financial, physical, emotional, spiritual - will be met. And those who overcome for the sake of Gods' Kingdom in the end are rewarded with special honor, recognition, authority, and intimacy with Him. REPENT See the importance of repentance. It restores and strengthens the intimacy of your cooling spiritual relationship. Repentance means a change of thought and action. Your conscience may lead you to spot a problem and confess it, or friends may point out blind spots in hopes of restoring your Christian walk. In severe cases, God may intervene with divine discipline, or remove His protection to return you to fellowship. Stop two-timing God. Put away all other loves that might rival Christ. Cease the adultery of idolatry: carrying on a love-affair with the world while shutting God out of your life. Divided loyalties lead to unfaithfulness. True love gives you grace to purify your heart and return to Him. REDO Think with a new mind. First, use your head, ordered by the Word and will of God. Then walk step-by-step toward your calling. Learn the mind of Christ. Reprogram your thoughts. Meditate on His truth. As a believer, you, like a butterfly, have all you need to fly - if you'll reject the caterpillar mindset. Prioritize God's Kingdom. When you love someone, that person's interests become yours, too. The Kingdom was Jesus' top earthly concern. He never forgot that His treasures were in heaven, not on earth. Reflect that perspective of faith on your finances and resources. Make God the master of your choices; live one day at a time, without worry or anxiety, trusting in His ability to provide. Care for the church. As part of Christ's family, you are commanded to help others. Comfort those who are misunderstood, hurt, rejected, tired, or weak. Work with others to encourage and to stimulate love and good deeds. Share, sacrifice, or pool resources to meet needs. You many have to confront, speak the hard truth in love, or even draw away from a backslider to avoid encouraging or participating in his sin. But always care enough to restore one who has repented of sin. It's part of helping to bear another's burdens.