First Love
First Love
“You have abandoned the love you had at first.” (Rev. 2:4)
Slipping into Neutral
Creating a relationship is intentional, and so is preserving it. When you first began dating the woman in your life, you made decisions to foster the bond. You carved out time for her. You made her a priority. You thought of places to go and things to do together, and you made it happen. But unless you continue to invest the time, energy, and creativity it took to win her, you can find the emotional bond ebbing away. Without intending to, you can let your relationship slip into neutral. We so easily do this with our wife and even with our God.
Putting It Back into Drive
In today’s passage Jesus reminds one of His churches that it had emotionally checked out on the love it used to have for Him. His call to the church is a truth that speaks to our relationship with Him but also with any important relationship, beginning with marriage.
If your relationship with your wife has lost much of its strength and closeness, do what you used to do when things were at their best, and the feelings will follow. It works that way for so many things that are good for us, things we know we should do—working out, eating right, getting enough rest, reading the Bible, and so forth. Right actions produce right feelings. Try it in your marriage and see if it isn’t true.
Bottom Line
You can rekindle the relationship with your spouse, your God, and your family. Do the kinds of things that build the bond, and then watch love bloom again. Reinvest in the relationships that matter most to you.