Honoring our first love becomes more and more difficult the longer we live. The warfare we face becomes more and more subtle the longer we find ourselves in this relationship. The enemy continues to infiltrate our affections for God and redirect them to something a little less. We have to keep a vigilant watch over our affections to ensure that they are always pointed at the creator and not a creation. Facing distractions of the world may be easy to spot, but what about the distractions of our heart. A precise tool to be used in measuring the balance of our affections is the conviction of our consciousness. The Lord speaks to our hearts everyday. Whether we choose to listen to His voice is totally up to our free will. When we hear Him say, you haven't open your bible in a while or you haven't spent time talking with me lately, that is the actual God of the Universe specifically using His Holy Spirit to align your affections back to Him. Remember these words; “If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple", (Luke 14:26).
There is a cost to following Christ and when we first began this journey it was easy to give up everything and follow Him. Now after we have accomplished living more years and acquiring more things (even those we believe came from God), it becomes a lot harder to hear those same words. God never wants us to hate our families, spouses, children, and co-workers. He does want us to Love Him more!!! "He replied to him, “Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?” Pointing to his disciples, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers. For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother”, (Matthew 12:48-50). There is nothing wrong with hobbies and liking nice things, they only become an issue when they are enjoyed more than being in the presence of our Lord and Savior and doing His Will. The hardest thing to put into check is our work for the Lord. Certainly our call to perform a work cannot be questioned by the Lord, could it? "The seventy-two returned with joy and said, “Lord, even the demons submit to us in your name.” He replied, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you. However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven”, (Luke 10:17-20). Even our "good works" cannot take precedence over our personal relationship with God. God has to be the greatest receiver of our affection. Put everything else in it's proper priority after Him, and you will find that you and your First Love will be more intimate than ever!!! Be encouraged!!! Have a wonderful life of enjoying your First Love on purpose!!!!!
Revelation 2
To the Church in Ephesus
1 “To the angel[a] of the church in Ephesus write:
These are the words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand and walks among the seven golden lampstands. 2 I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked people, that you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false. 3 You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary.
4 Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken the love you had at first. 5 Consider how far you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place. 6 But you have this in your favor: You hate the practices of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.
7 Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. 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.
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