Daily Devotional

First Love

by Kelly Graham
February 2010 Women's Newsletter

One never forgets their first love. I met mine in Kindergarten, and his name was Robert. He had shiny black hair, he won every relay race on the playground, and was the best “colorer” in the class. We were in the same small private school until the 6^th grade.

I’ll never forget how my heart leapt when he finally held my hand at the local skating rink. I really believed he was the only boy I would ever love, and we practiced writing our names together in my notebook during math class. That is probably why I never did well in math!

Well, my love for Robert lasted until I had to move to Texas in the 7^th grade and since this was the era before technology and social networking, Robert and I never kept in touch. My first love quickly faded into a distant memory.

As Christians we should never forget our one true love, Jesus Christ. When we first ask Christ into our lives, we are overwhelmed by His love for us. We are excited to learn more about Him and seek ways to grow closer to Him. But as time passes by, we become distracted. That’s why, as Christians, we must make a proactive decision to guard against the things that hinder our relationship with Christ. Things like…

· Money

· Relationships

· Career

· Status

· Power

· Success

· Religion

· Pleasure

· Material things

· Ideas, goals, and opinions

It’s not wrong to have these things, but it becomes wrong when we begin to love these things and turn to them to satisfy and fulfill ourselves, and when we love these things more than we love God. We need to be on constant guard against letting anything replace our first love.

[Pull quote] Turn my heart toward your statutes and not toward selfish gain. Turn my eyes from worthless things (idols); Preserve my life according to your word” (Psalm 119:36-37).

I recently read a devotional written about Revelation 2 where Christ is reprimanding the church in Ephesus for abandoning their first love. In the application, I found the following statements* incredibly convicting and profound, and I would love to share them with you.

I pray you ponder them and commit to guard your first love—Jesus Christ.

1. When my delight in the Lord is no longer as great as my delight in someone else, I have lost my first love.

2. When my soul does not long for times of rich fellowship in God’s Word or in prayer, I have lost my first love.

3. When my thoughts during leisure moments do not reflect upon the Lord, I have lost my first love.

4. When I claim to be “only human” and easily give in to those things I know displease the Lord, I have lost my first love.

5. When I do not willingly and cheerfully give to God’s work or to the needs of others, I have lost my first love.

6. When I cease to treat every Christian brother as I would the Lord, I have lost my first love.

7. When I view the commands of Christ as restrictions to my happiness rather than expressions of his love, I have lost my first love.

8. When I inwardly strive for the acclaim of this world rather than the approval of the Lord, I have lost my first love.

9. When I fail to make Christ or his words known because I fear rejection, I have lost my first love.

10. When I refuse to give up an activity which I know is offending a weaker brother, I have lost my first love.

11. When I become complacent to sinful conditions around me, I have lost my first love.

12. When I am unable to forgive another for offending me, I have lost my first love.

*Taken from Disciple Magazine, May 1992.