“But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first” (Revelation 2:4)

We are creatures of habit. Day after day we go through our busy routines, knowing exactly what to do, but oftentimes having little passion as we do it. Routine can lead to complacency. This complacency is often demonstrated in our most important human relationships, where over time, the love, passion and commitment to that special someone ceases to exist. It is when peripheral issues are allowed to take precedence that relationships break down. Perhaps more common in our day for a whole host of reasons, complacency and a lack of commitment in our relationships need never be considered acceptable, or for that matter, even normal.       

            The people in the church at Ephesus had a problem with commitment, if not to each other, certainly to Jesus. The apostle John received and recorded the Revelation from its Divine author, Jesus Christ. While it was a revelation from Christ, it is also a revelation about Him. At the beginning of the book, we find seven letters written to seven different churches that existed in the first century, churches that are thought to also represent churches throughout the entire church age. Though not all the churches received both, a common pattern of these letters included things in which they were to be commended, as well as things deserving of rebuke. The church at Ephesus received both. They had a lot to be commended for; the work they did for the cause of Christ; their perseverance, spiritual discernment and their refusal to tolerate evil. But despite that, they had flaws, and these flaws mattered.

            Those to whom John was writing had abandoned the love they had for Christ in the beginning. Over time, their hearts had grown cold. Has yours? Do you still burn with the same passion for Christ you had in the beginning? Is your relationship with Him still your first priority? We’re not told exactly why what happened in the church at Ephesus happened, but we are to know that when our love for the Lord diminishes, our love for others diminishes as well. Although they knew their doctrine, the people in the church at Ephesus forgot that their Christian faith was first and foremost about a relationship with Christ, and with each other. We would do well to learn from their mistake.

            When our relationship with Jesus takes a back seat to anything, we can’t assume consequences won’t follow. They will. Our relationship with Christ affects every other relationship. It’s naïve to think we can be all God created us to be if He’s not our first priority. A right theology and a right relationship always go together. Commitment follows true love. A deliberate effort to guard our time with and commitment to the Lord is critical. Effort on our part is not being legalistic or so the Lord will love us more. It’s recognition of how much He has already loved us. It is so our worship would be true. Ultimately though, it’s that we would live for nothing short of what the Lord is due, His glory.