Light and Tinsel

The year began with a question I was asked.  It seemed insignificant at the time but turned out to change not only my year, but the focus of my life.  The question was based on Revelation 2:4: “Is Jesus still your first love?” 

Rev 2:4 (AMPC):

But I have this [one charge to make] against you: that you have left (abandoned) the love that you had at first [you have deserted Me, your first love].

When I started thinking about it, it struck me how easily we can be distracted by things, good things, Kingdom things, to the point where our focus is so far removed from what's really important.  The Church at Ephesus to which these verses were addressed were doing good Kingdom things.

Rev 2:2-3 (AMPC):

2 I know your industry and activities, laborious toil and trouble, and your patient endurance, and how you cannot tolerate wicked [men] and have tested and critically appraised those who call [themselves] apostles (special messengers of Christ) and yet are not and have found them to be impostors and liars.  3 I know you are enduring patiently and are bearing up for My name’s sake, and you have not fainted or become exhausted or grown weary.

They diligently worked for the Kingdom, they patiently endured, they eradicated wickedness from their midst, they identified and removed false prophets, they kept the doctrine they preached and believed pure and truthful.  They didn’t faint and give up.  

All these activities seem noble and what the Church is called to do.  Yet the Lord rebuked them that even though they had done what seemed right, they neglected and forsook Him and allowed the love that they first had for Him to become cold.  They allowed service to the King, to lead to the neglect of the King.  

After my dad went to be with the Lord in 2015, my mom started reading books about Heaven.  I remember her telling me about a lady in one of the books, who was taken into Heaven for a visit.  When the Lord came to meet her, He was all dressed in red royal robes.  She asked Him about his outfit, to which He replied that it was His birthday.  She realized that it was Christmas.  

Whether you believe in people visiting Heaven or not, this story does serve as an important reminder.  During the Christmas season it is easy to get sidetracked by all the activities.  There are gifts to buy, menus to plan, decorations to find, Christmas lights to untangle from last year, the list goes on and on.  We can get so focused on the celebrations that we barely remember the reason for the season.  But even if we remember the royal baby that was born in the humble manger, it would mean little if we don’t take it further to remember that today He is our risen Saviour King.  That instead of Him receiving birthday gifts, He is the one who gave the ultimate gift - reconciliation with the Father and eternity in Heaven.  What would be the point of celebrating His birth if we are not willing to submit and surrender our lives to Him who is the eternally living and reigning King.  

With a few days left until the end of this year, I want to ask you this question: “Is Jesus still your first love?” I realize that for outsiders I might seem fanatical or extreme - and that is alright - what else is there that will last past this life?  Most people today live as if life on earth will remain status quo with one generation rolling into the next and on and on.  But no, there will come a day and time when this will be over and the age of the eternal reign of our King will begin.  There will come a day when your mundane daily living will be judged and only that which you did in obedience to His will and call will remain and be rewarded.  The rest will be turned into a pile of ashes.  

  

Back to my question - Is Jesus still your first love?  And if so, what does it mean, what does it look like?

It means He needs to take first place - not trying to fit Him into your day in-between all the other priorities, but that He should become the priority and the other things get fitted in around Him.  He has to be your focus and not just a passing thought every now and then.  You need to read and live the letters that were written to you through the hands of the Apostles and others and you need to spend time in His presence by turning the attention of your heart to focus on Him.  

I am realizing that we often put so great emphasis on fulfilling our calling, that we get frantic about what it is and how to start.  But if you read in 1 Cor 1:9, you will see that we are called to fellowship:  

9 God is faithful [He is reliable, trustworthy and ever true to His promise—He can be depended on], and through Him you were called into fellowship with His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

If I run my race and finish my course and get to the end, then I want to be known as someone who loved the Lord and treasured my relationship and fellowship with Him more than anything else - that would be a life well lived.

May this Christmas time be more than a fleeting thought with your attention getting entangled in tinsel and ho ho ho, but let it rather be on a baby in a humble manger who grew up to become your substitute so you could be restored back to have favor with God.  May the glow of your Christmas lights grow dim in the Presence of Him who is, and always will be, the Light of the world.

2 Cor 5:18-19 (AMPC):

18 But all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ [making us acceptable to Him] and gave us the ministry of reconciliation [so that by our example we might bring others to Him], 19 that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting people’s sins against them [but canceling them]. And He has committed to us the message of reconciliation [that is, restoration to favor with God].

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