Our First Love

But I have this against you, that you have left your first love.    —Revelations 2:4

I am a proto-typical male. I dislike shopping. I may be understating my feelings so folks don’t think too badly of me. I really, really, dislike shopping, even though my wife loves me to go with her and spend time with her. When, rather IF, I go to the mall, I sometimes catch glimpses of my younger self as I see young couples from middle school to post college age walking hand in hand with dreamy looks in their eyes sharing a few moments of bliss shopping in the mall. The guy may even very attentively help pick out shoes and dresses. It’s a date. They are in love.

When folks first fall in love, they fall so head over heels in love they will do almost anything to demonstrate that love without being asked. I have seen girls become hunters and fisherwomen just to capture the man of their dreams.

We might draw a parallel to the Christian faith. When I first asked Jesus Christ to come into my life, I was so overwhelmed with God’s love and presence in my life, I read the Bible every spare minute I had reading the entire New Testament in the month of December. Granted, I was in college away from home. I had no obligations but to go to class, watch Star Trek immediately before going to the dining hall, and play ping pong. I made spending time with the Lord a top priority among these other lofty endeavors.

After I dropped out of college, returned to carpentry work, and got married, I had to discipline myself to make time for prayer, Bible reading, and quality time with the Lord. My first love, Jesus, was now in competition with many other demands in my life. In the Parable of the Sower, Jesus warned how the cares of this world act as weeds choking out the Kingdom of God from our lives (Matthew 13:22).

In the book of Revelation, Jesus dictates seven letters to seven churches. In the first letter to the Church of Ephesus, Jesus commends the church for their works, perseverance, and faithfulness, but condemns it for one small (or very large) thing, leaving their first love. Jesus urges the church to “remember from where you have fallen, and repent and do the deeds you did at first” (2:4-5).

Remember your first love. Remember the acts done out of total, unreserved, overwhelmed love you did at first. God is more interested in our all-consuming love relationship with Jesus than deeds done out of a sense of duty. In a recent book, Steve DeNeff and David Drury list the shift from Slave to Child as one of the transformations needed in order to become the Christian God intends us to be.  “Slave to Child is a shift in identity from serving God to loving God (SoulShift, 27).

In personal relationships, true love manifests itself both by lifelong dedication to care and support another person as well as the spontaneous demonstrations of joy and excitement of spending time with that person. Many wives and husbands, my wife for sure, would enjoy seeing more of the kind of excitement and infatuation demonstrated in those early days of courtship.

Jesus says, “But I have this against you, that you have left your first love. Therefore remember from where you have fallen, and repent and do the deeds you did at first.” In the Christian life and in our married life, remember your first love.  

Pray for America

As for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord by failing to pray for you.    —1 Samuel 12:23

Several years ago in a different part of the country, I participated in a National Day of Prayer service. The Christian and civil communities gathered at the County Courthouse. I was privileged to sit on the platform atop of the Courthouse steps as one of the prayer leaders. Sadly, for me and a few others, the prayer service degraded into a complaint session against our government leaders and American culture. Each prayer began with a short preaching moment condemning the administration and America.

I, personally, agreed with the complaints, but became increasingly annoyed and disappointed by pastors and leaders who used their prayer time to preach and condemn our government. A retired minister from Central Pennsylvania wrote a letter to the editor of the local paper describing an earlier time in history when the Christian community prayed fervently for their leaders.

Centuries ago, Samuel, from infancy was anointed as a Jewish priest. He was the last of the Old Testament Judges and a prophet for the people and kings David and Saul. When the Jews asked for a king like other nations, they were rejecting God as their King and Samuel as God’s representative.

In a demonstration of the severity of their request for a king, God sent thunder and rain during the wheat harvest. The people were terrified as it almost never rains during this time. They confessed their sin and asked Samuel to prayer for them. Samuel responded that he would never sin against God by failing to pray for them (1 Samuel 12:23).

Many of us in America feel that American values have been compromised. We may even feel that our governmental leaders are not leading or leading in the wrong direction, but God has called us to pray for our nation and our leaders. 2 Chronicles 7:14 says, “If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”  

The command to pray is really an invitation, “If my people…” It does not say, “If my people condemn and criticize our leaders;” although we need prophetic voices to speak out. Also, it does not say, “If certain candidates get elected.” Nor does it say, “If drug addicts and pushers stop drug abuse;” but it says, “If my people, will humble themselves, pray, and repent, then God will hear and heal.”

Somehow, in the face of movement away from Christian values, rising drug and sexual abuse, the continued terrorist threat, and ineffective governmental leadership, God calls His people to humble themselves, repent of our sinful ways, and pray. Far be it from us that we should cease to pray for America, for the American people, and our leaders.

We are facing a tremendous election year. America is more extremely divided than I have ever seen. The needs and challenges are larger than in any time in my memory. We need to pray. Christian people everywhere need to humble themselves and pray. God promises to hear and heal our land. Join me in praying for America.