How to Recapture Your Love for God: Lessons from the Church at Ephesus
Introduction
4) Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love.
5) Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.
-Revelation 2:4-5 (KJV)
Have you ever lost your passion for something? Have you ever been in possession of something so important to you that you thought you couldn’t live without it only to realize that one day you had completely forgotten about that one thing you couldn’t do without?
Maybe you had a dream job that’s now just a nine to five routine. Or perhaps you met the love of your life but your marriage has grown stale after the romance has seemingly disappeared. What about that new car, boat or article of clothing that you never use or wear?
All of us, from time to time, lose excitement for things we once cared deeply about. Usually, we neglect or take for granted the things that are important in our lives and as time marches on we gradually forget them.
“For Christians Jesus is their first or most important love. However, even a Christian’s love for Christ can grow cold.”
Did you know this can happen with Jesus too? For Christians Jesus is their first or most important love. However, even a Christian’s love for Christ can grow cold.
Now, as we will see, this doesn’t mean that God’s love for his children ever changes (it doesn’t), but it does mean our effectiveness as servants and our fellowship with Christ can become strained, distant and empty.
Therefore, when our love for Christ wanes, how can we recapture it? To find out, we need to go back 2,000 years to an early Christian church.
The Church at Ephesus – Zeal Without Love
The Church at Ephesus (modern day Turkey) was a real early church that thrived during the beginning phase of Christianity during its initial expansion across the Mediterranean.
The Bible tells us that this church was active; its members took bold stands for Christ and endured many difficult things (Rev. 2:2-3). Also, its faithfulness was noted by both Paul (who spent at least three years among the Ephesian believers) and later Ignatius of Antioch in the first century AD.
However, despite its religious activity, it had left its first love—Jesus Christ.
What it once had in abundance, passion for Christ, love for him, spiritual energy, was now all but extinguished (Eph. 3:17-19).
The word left here in the original Greek language also means to depart from, resign, abandon, forsake or to become less intense toward. They went from enjoying the one thing they couldn’t live without, to going about their days aimlessly following religious routines out of obligation.
But how could they be so religious while at the same time having forgotten their love for God? Because they became so caught up in actions that they neglected their hearts.
Life, Worries and Sin – Things That Cause Us to Neglect God
Love for Christ comes first and foremost from the heart; where life springs from (Prov. 4:23). This is why God through salvation in Jesus Christ gives us a new, renewed and pure heart and why God is so concerned with the inward man and his motives (Acts 15:9, Matt. 5:8, Ex. 36:26, 1 Sam. 16:7).
Nevertheless, we can still easily neglect our hearts and have our heart’s inclinations drawn to other things, things of less importance, things that distract and trap us, things of this world (1 John 2:15-16, Rom. 12:2). And let’s not forget the cares or anxieties of the world (1 Pet. 5:7) which can easily hijack our minds and distract us through fear and worry.
“The Christian life is at its core an inner disposition of continuous obedience and trust in Christ.”
These things, though they can cause us to neglect God and his love, can never take away our salvation but they can distract, make us ineffective and cause us to temporarily forget the passion we once had for Jesus. This is why, as James says, that “every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed,” (Jas. 1:14). Note, sin and temptation draw us away from God and life.
This is why it’s so important to diligently guard or keep watch over our hearts (Prov. 4:23) and bring into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ (2 Cor. 10:5).
Christianity isn’t an outward action though we are to bear fruit and will if we follow God’s will for us. More importantly, the Christian life is at its core an inner disposition of continuous obedience and trust in Christ (Is. 26:3). Moreover, peace in the Christian life requires a steadfastness of mind, a mind focused on Jesus.
“Most often, we lose our passion for God not due to willful neglect of him, but because of the endless pull of the world on our time, life and energy.”
Most often, we lose our passion for God not due to willful neglect of him, but because of the endless pull of the world on our time, life and energy.
Distractions, busy calendars, family obligations, work, all of these can distract us from Christ. Even good things can keep us from Christ and become idols of the heart (even Christian service!).
Life, worries, sin, all of these form a trifecta of distraction and entrapment that pulls us away and diverts us from Christ, causing us to leave our first love.
Remember, Repent and Act – Recapturing Your Love for Christ
Yet, despite all of the things that can cause us to lose our zeal for Jesus, we can always return to our first love—to Jesus Christ.
While we may at times forget him, exhaust our former fervor or misplace God among other less important priorities of life, he never leaves us (Heb. 13:5). In fact, before Jesus’ ascended into heaven after his resurrection he said, “I am with you always,” (Matt. 28:20).
God never forgets us, even when we forget him. In fact, we’re on His mind (Psalm 139:17-18). Even when we have departed from our first love, Jesus’ love is always there for us. His love is not just waiting for our return, but its ready and able to handle anything that comes its way.
God’s love outlasts season of neglect; His love is an everlasting love (Jer. 31:3). God’s love is stronger than any coldness toward him; His love endures forever (Ps. 136:1). And God’s love overcomes our greatest fears during seasons of departure; His love casts out fear (1 Jn. 4:18).
“You might feel far away from God due to your spiritual forgetfulness of him, however you’re always in Christ and his love is ready and waiting for you to acknowledge him once more.”
Ultimately, you might feel far away from God due to your spiritual forgetfulness of him, however you’re always in Christ (Gal. 2:20, 2 Cor. 5:17) and his love is ready and waiting for you to acknowledge him once more.
How then can we regain our love of Christ? The prescription given to the Church at Ephesus is a good model to emulate.
First, the Church at Ephesus was encouraged to remember how things were before it lost its zeal for God (Rev. 2:5).
Second, it was told to repent. Repentance in this context means to change one’s mind and purpose.
Lastly, the church was told to once again do the first works or the things they once did out of love and passion for God.
Remember, repent and act.
If you have lost your love of God, if he has become less important to you, if life has crowded him out of your busy schedule, all you have to do is remember the love you used to have for him.
“When you reflect on his place in your life, focus once more on his plans for your life, and get back to engaging the world for him, and cultivating your relationship with him, you’ll find your love toward Christ burning bright once again.”
Think about who you are in him, how he saved you, the miracles he has done in your life, and how much joy you once had (and still do have) for him. Set your mind on things above (Col. 3:2) as Paul told the Colossian Church.
Next, turn your mind back to him and love him as you once did through obedience, devotion and spiritual disciplines.
Pray and communicate with him again. And do the things you were once so excited to do. Open your dusty Bible, get into church, call a fellow Christian friend out for coffee, volunteer, witness, teach, etc.
When you reflect on his place in your life, focus once more on his plans for your life, and get back to engaging the world for him, and cultivating your relationship with him, you’ll find your love toward Christ burning bright once again.
Conclusion
If life’s speed has gotten you off course, if you’ve succumbed to the illusion that you can handle things yourself that only God can handle, if Christianity has become nothing more than a routine done out of obligation, step away from it all for a moment, take a deep breath and pray, take some time with God.
Remember, repent and act.
As you once again walk in step with your Savior, may you be blessed by God’s love and allow it to be the sole object that motivates you to serve him, just as it is meant to do (2 Cor. 5:14).
J.R. Waller, MBA is a Christian lay-teacher, author, and Founder of Every Reason to Believe. He holds an MBA from Rollins College, B.S. in Psychology from The University of Central Florida, Certificate in Christian Apologetics from Biola University, and Bible Knowledge Certificate from The Master’s Seminary Institute for Church Leadership. He is also a two-time Fellow (UCF, The James Madison Institute).
Image Credit: Saint Francis (c. 1615) by Peter Paul Rubens (Flemish, 1577-1640). The Art Institute of Chicago. 1983.372.