Return to Your First Love
Do You Remember Your First Love?
Mine was in the seventh grade. Her name was Jane. (Well, that wasn't really her name, but I'm changing names to protect the innocent 😁.)
She was funny, smart, and actually laughed at my jokes. I wrote her poems, doodled her name in my Trapper Keeper, and was convinced she was the one.
Then one day she said, “We’re moving to California.” Just like that, my middle-school love story ended.
Years later she came back for a visit—and here’s the twist—she wanted to see me. But something had changed.
Actually, I had changed.
The feeling wasn’t there anymore.
And looking back now, that wasn’t really love.
Funny how that happens—even with real love.
At first, everything’s fresh and passionate. Then life gets busy, the spark fades, and you find yourself just going through the motions.
That’s exactly what happened to the church in Ephesus.
The Church That Got It (Almost) All Right
The believers in Ephesus were doing so many things well.
They worked hard, persevered, stood firm against false teaching, and never compromised truth.
“I know your deeds, your hard work, and your perseverance.” — Revelation 2:2
They had right belief, right behavior, and right busyness.
But then Jesus says something heartbreaking:
“Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken the love you had at first.” — Revelation 2:4
They had deeds over devotion.
They were doing things for God instead of with God.
“To hate error and evil is not the same as to love Christ.” — John Stott
You can do the right things for the wrong reasons.
You can serve in ministry yet drift in heart.
You can defend the truth yet forget the One who is Truth.
Jesus' Prescription: Remember. Repent. Return.
Jesus doesn’t just diagnose the problem—He gives the cure:
“Consider how far you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first.” — Revelation 2:5
Think back to when your faith was fresh—when worship moved you, Scripture felt alive, and prayer was personal.
If Jesus says to repent, it means this isn’t just a drift issue—it’s a sin issue.
3. Return
Jesus isn’t asking for more doing—He’s inviting you into deeper loving.
What Happens If We Don't
Jesus warns:
"If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place.” — Revelation 2:5
He’s not talking about losing salvation, but losing influence.
A church without love eventually loses its light.
“The church that loses its love will soon lose its light, no matter how doctrinally sound it may be.” — Warren Wiersbe
The Promise of Love Restored
Jesus closes the letter with hope:
“To the one who is victorious, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.” — Revelation 2:7
He still walks among His people today.
He hasn’t moved—and He’s still inviting His church to come back to its first love.
Coming Back to the Heart
- Have I been going through the motions?
- Have I replaced affection with activity?
- What would it look like to return to my first love today?