The Ministry Tableનમૂનો

Your First Love

Invite the Spirit of God to illuminate this passage for you today. Pause. Breathe deeply. Allow the text to guide a moment of reflection.

First, no matter what you are carrying (maybe it’s discouragement, exhaustion, or troubles that won’t go away), notice that the Lord is near. He walks among his churches. He walks back and forth among the communities planted in his name (Revelation 2:1). My friends, he is not far from you!

Hear the Lord’s words of affirmation. He sees you. He knows you, and he knows your hard work and perseverance (Revelation 2:2). Do not miss the fact that more than half of the verses giving the church its report card, commends the church for what it’s doing well. And those are not easy things to do well (Revelation 2:2-3)! Whether you’re receiving praise from human beings or not, whether the world seems to notice your efforts or not. Receive the praise of our Servant King, who alone is worthy of all our praise.

Then let the pain and vulnerability of our Savior pierce your heart: “Your coldness towards me hurts. Your neglect of our friendship stings. Remember how you used to enjoy being with me? Talking with me? Telling me everything? Remember how much you wanted to do whatever you could to bring a smile to my face? To make me glad?” (Revelation 2:4-6). Take a moment to grieve any distance in, any neglect of your relationship with Jesus.

Take a moment to appreciate that friendship with the Lord is a gift in itself. That God is inviting you to join him in his work of renewing people’s hearts and restoring the whole world is also a gift. Remember that the gifts of God are his to give and his to take away. Ask yourself how you might take one step today towards warming your heart back up before Jesus. Maybe you can revisit your favorite story of him in the gospels. Maybe you can take a few minutes to worship, with your favorite hymn or song. Whatever might bring freshness and newness of love and commitment to a heart that easily grows stale towards God.

Finally, remember that throughout the Scriptures, God urges his people to take his promises seriously, and then, to choose life. Choose life, today, friends. Life that is deeply connected to the truest love we’ll ever find. To our good God.

Jennifer Chan
Missional Catalyst at Redeemer City to City
New York, NY
https://www.citytocity.nyc/