The correct Sunday school answer is: “I love God above all and implicitly trust Him with my deepest needs.” ~~But is this true? Do my actions back this statement and prove that I significantly invest in my relationship with Him? Or do my actions prove that I’m merely going through ‘spiritual motions’ and lack real dependence upon my Savior?
God’s no fool. He knows whether or not we truly LOVE HIM by how we operate in every area of our lives. ("If you love Me, you will obey what I command." Jn. 14:15) No, when we neglect God's commands, yet we tell Him how much we love Him, we are the fools.
Think about it…we, like God, don't measure enduring love by what we hear either. ~~Loving and affirming statements are important, but the old adage stands true: Actions speak louder than words.
Rev. 2:4-5 tells us that the church at Ephesus had forsaken its "first love." What did Jesus tell them to do? Christ gave these believers a three-step plan for restoring relationship with Himself: 1) Remember from where you have fallen 2) Repent 3) Do the deeds you did at first.
Why this recommendation?
1. Jesus deeply desires restored relationship. (This is WHY He died…loving us despite our filth, with no detail of our life catching Him off guard…ever!)
2. He knows that when we place our trust in the wrong source our lives are marked by frustration and disappointment. (People simply lack the resources to meet our deepest needs and sooner or later will hurt or offend us.)
Let’s use a marriage relationship as an illustration: Picture a couple who is experiencing marital trouble right now. Got this couple in mind? (Perhaps a very familiar couple? ;) ) Straight up, Jesus wants to meet this couple’s inner-most needs/desires more than this couple can even fathom they have such needs/desires!
So what happens when this couple thankfully comes to the end of their talented selves and decides to follow Jesus’ advice in Rev. 2:5? (Realizing from where they have fallen in their relationship with God and with one another, repenting, and striving to do what they did in earlier days when their love relationship was flourishing.)Their entire lives will change as a result of consistent and “full-weight” dependence in the live-giving power of Jesus to daily meet their needs, that’s what!
Let’s do some soul searching this week: ~~Who am I depending on to meet my deepest desires? If “Jesus” isn’t my honest answer, am I ready to heed Rev. 2:5?
Much love and God bless you!
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Shaun and Betsy
