The Call Back to Your First Love

There are few moments more agonizing in the Christian life than when our love for Christ grows cold. Scripture seems hollow. Prayers bounce back. Sermons, no matter how passionate or doctrinally sound, echo off a heart that feels dull and indifferent. You sit in the quiet, struggling to connect with the God you once adored, and wonder. Have I left my first love?

This spiritual distance, this inner barrenness, often descends unnoticed. It doesn’t always begin with outright rebellion. More often, it starts with neglect a busyness that edges out devotion, or distractions that pile up like snow until the fire is smothered. You remember the joy you once had, the nearness of God’s presence, and you ache.

A Silent Drift

Many believers go through these dark nights of the soul. And yet, rather than turning to the One who calls us back, we tend to rationalize our coldness. We label discipline as legalism, we call absence “freedom,” and we redefine grace to mean indifference to intimacy. But deep down, we know something is off. Our hearts whisper, “Prone to wander, Lord I feel it…” and we fear we may never return.

Scripture speaks directly into this space. Jesus, addressing the church in Ephesus, offers both a diagnosis and a cure. After praising their works and discernment, He gives a piercing rebuke: “But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first” (Revelation 2:4). The danger wasn’t heresy or immorality. It was loveless orthodoxy — spiritual performance without passion.

When Zeal Replaces Affection

This church in Revelation had the right theology, the right practices, even the right endurance. But they had let go of the central thing: love for Christ. This is a sobering reminder that it is entirely possible to be doctrinally sound and yet spiritually dead.

Today, many believers fall into this trap. We may faithfully attend services, serve in ministry, read theological books, and yet our hearts grow increasingly mechanical. According to a 2022 study by the American Bible Society, while 39% of Americans say they use the Bible, only 10% of those report feeling close to God daily through its reading. Something crucial is missing the heart.

It’s not that God has moved. As He said through the prophet Jeremiah, “What wrong did your ancestors find in me that they went far from me?” (Jeremiah 2:5). When distance exists between us and the Lord, the fault is never His.

Jesus' Loving Confrontation

Jesus doesn’t only diagnose; He prescribes. To the Ephesian church and to us. He gives three steps back to intimacy: Remember, Repent, Return (Revelation 2:5).

1. Remember

This isn’t a call to sentimental nostalgia. It’s a command to revisit the time when your love was fresh and alive. When did your heart last burn for Christ? Do you remember the moment He rescued you? The peace that flooded your soul, the hunger for His Word, the thrill of prayer?

Remembering is more than reminiscing. It’s a spiritual discipline. Psalm 143:5 says, “I remember the days of old; I meditate on all your works.” The act of recalling God’s goodness rekindles our affections and reminds us of the joy we’ve misplaced.

2. Repent

True repentance is not shame-laced guilt but a return to relationship. It’s admitting that we’ve prioritized other things, even good things, above the Lord. It's recognizing that we’ve traded intimacy for convenience.

Jesus calls us to repent not as a punishment but as an invitation. “Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:16). He’s not holding us at a distance; He’s waiting with open arms.

3. Return

After remembering and repenting, Jesus says, “Do the works you did at first.” Return to the basics not as a formula, but as a posture. Go back to prayer, not as duty, but as delight. Open the Word, not to complete a reading plan, but to hear His voice. Worship not just on Sundays, but in quiet, unhurried moments.

Jesus is not demanding spiritual feats. He is calling you back to love. Jude 1:21 exhorts us to “keep yourselves in the love of God.” That means cultivating a heart that treasures Him above all. Return to that place even if you have to fight for it.

Reignite the Flame

There’s also wisdom in identifying what stirs your heart for Christ. What awakens your affection for God? For some, it’s solitude in nature. For others, it’s music, writing, or serving the marginalized. Maybe it’s fellowship with believers who sharpen your faith.

Whatever it is in this season, prioritize it. Don’t settle for spiritual apathy. You were made for intimacy with God. You were saved for fellowship, not formality. He didn’t redeem you so you could perform; He called you so you could walk with Him.

The door is not closed. The Father still runs to the prodigal who appears on the horizon (Luke 15:20). His grace is not exhausted. Your heart can burn again. The love that once consumed you can be rekindled not by effort alone, but by the Spirit who fans the flame.

As long as you have breath, you have time to return.

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