Listen:
“Yet I hold this against you; You have forsaken the love you had at first.” (Revelations 2:4)
Reflect:
We all get so busy about our work, and God’s work. The church members in Ephesus were not much different at the core than most of us today. We tend to believe our lives are very unlike our Jesus following counterparts who lived all those years ago, but they aren’t really. True, they didn’t have cell phones, but they lived in very close proximity to their family and friends, so their lives were very “social”, just with actual interaction, not on devices.
When you live in close proximity to people, doing life and community, and work and church, it can become very interconnected and messy. The lines get blurred and boundaries, if not defined, honored and upheld, get crossed. We can get so busy working for God that we actually get distracted from God. When our work for the church turns to a focus on numbers (attendance and even dollar signs) we find ourselves quickly far off track from our true two priorities…loving God, and loving people.
My friend Tim Elmore says it this way, “We mustn’t just stay busy, we must stay busy with the right activities. We aren’t called to just do things right, we are called to do the right things.” In this Revelation letter to the Ephesian church, God had a very easy remedy for those of them – and to us today – who have veered off track: Remember and repent, or I will return and remove your light. (Rev. 2:5)
Questions to Ponder:
If you’ve gotten caught up in being right instead of doing the right things with the right heart posture, prayerfully consider these questions:
1. What was the original vision God gave me?
2. What must I discard to align my priorities to what God prioritizes?
3. What will I prioritize TODAY to get back on track?
God loves us enough to hold us accountable. Remember, He rewards fruit, not activity.
Prayer of Response:
Father, thank you for loving me enough to care about me and not just the work I do. I repent for getting so busy that I’ve taken my eyes off of You, and my heart’s focus off of what matters to You. Holy Spirit, help me to love as the Father loves, and to never forget that my life’s work is about You and for You. Help my work to be like a river flowing with the Father’s love, and not a detailed list to be checked off, without love. In Jesus’ Name I pray, Amen!
—Submitted by Traci Morrow
Traci lives in Colorado with her husband KC and two teenage sons. They also have four adult kids, one grandson and one granddaughter. She is a Health and Wellness Coach and is the Relationship Expert and Growth Guide for Maxwell Leadership. Traci is passionate about healthy relationships and has written her first book, Real-Life Marriage Navigating Your Beautiful, Messy, One-Of-A-Kind Love Story.
(Featured Photo credit: Permission rights granted to Traci Morrow)
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