Later, as God continues to meet our needs, we tend to forget that we had them! We begin to feel self-sufficient and foolishly believe that what we have gained was due to our own wisdom and effort. Our need for God brought us to Him for salvation. Why does our love for the Lord cool in the first place? Our love for God can certainly wane when we lose our sense of needing Him. Have you ever found yourself in this position, having strayed from the nearness of God and needing to rekindle your love for Him? Do you long for the warmth and closeness of that initial relationship with God, but you don’t know how to go back? Not only did He point out where they had erred, but He also encouraged them to remember where their relationship had been and make the necessary changes to restore the former relationship. Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works” (Revelation 2:4–5). In a vision to the Apostle John, Jesus addressed His disappointment regarding this very issue with the church at Ephesus: “I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love. When a believer does not give his relationship with the Lord the focus and attention that any vibrant relationship needs, his love for God will grow cold. However, relationships take work! Just as people can grow cool or distant toward one another when they fail to give their relationship the attention it needs, so can many Christians fall away from their first love for the Lord. God’s Spirit witnesses with his spirit that he is a child of God (see Romans 8:16), and this newfound relationship brings great wonder, joy, and freedom. Ask God, then listen and do what He says.When a person receives Christ as his Savior, he experiences the delight of “first love” for the Lord. If you feel like you should stop and serve, do it. This doesn’t necessarily mean you take on every opportunity presented to you. Does your neighbor need help with his lawn? Take care of it for him.įollow God’s prompting and leading when going about your day. Do you see a struggling mom at the store? Let her get in line before you. Think about the needs of others and how you can place them before your own. Begin placing others first in your day to day.Ask Him to show you each day what needs to be done and what can be set aside. Are you doing too much?Īre you keeping things on your list because of appearances? Allow Him to free up your time. This may bring out some things you need to address and work on, but it will be worth it! He can change your heart, soften the edges, and teach you to love others with kindness and compassion. Is your heart struggling to love others? Ask Jesus for a heart change.īe open to Him working, stretching, and changing your heart.But what exactly does that look like? How do we genuinely love even the unlovable? How do we let go of our to-do list? How do we position ourselves to act humbly? Serving others and genuine love go hand in hand. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh rather, serve one another humbly in love. You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. No task was ever beneath Jesus, and no person was ever unworthy. Jesus was led by the Spirit of God and followed His promptings to serve, love, and help others. Jesus was not stressed by time, what others thought of Him, or a list of tasks to accomplish each day. It’s keeping our eyes, hearts, and schedules open for divine appointments. To be a servant means we genuinely need to care about people. Serving others is more than keeping up with your to-do list. In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. Jesus showed us that serving others and humility go hand in hand.ĭo nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. He spent time with those no one else cared to spend time with. He stopped to touch and heal a sick woman. He walked to visit and heal the sick and dead. He led by serving, and He loved by serving. Jesus, the Son of God, the Most High King, Lord of Lords, never placed himself in a position above others. "I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you," Jesus says. After washing His disciples’ feet - an act of love, humility, and service - He encourages us to follow His lead and serve one another. In John 13:15, Jesus sets an example for us to follow.
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