Words By Mae

“You have forgotten your first love.”

That’s what Revelations 2 says regarding the church of Ephesus. While there is praise to be given to the members of the church, there’s criticism as well.

Sometimes I forget my first love, too. I forget all The Lord has done for me: how He’s gone ahead and paved a way for me, how He walks with me in the present to keep me company, how He even falls behind just to clean up messes left by heartbreak and hurt.

It’s easy to forget my first love, to be caught up in the hubbub of the ups and downs and in-between’s of life. It’s easy for me to be distracted and complacent and lazy with my faith.

So how do we fight this?

I think there are two ways to go about trying to remember and cherish our first love.

Firstly, we must seek out what stirs our affection for God. Oppositely, we must avoid anything that steals our affection for Him.

These things stir up my affection:

1. Giving and receiving encouragement
2. Deep talks with good friends
3. Breaking bread with loved ones
4. Appreciating the great outdoors
5. Making a new friend

These things steal my affection:

1. Hurtful words from hurtful people
2. Skipping quiet time with God
3. “He said, she said” gossip
4. Feeling betrayed
5. Neglecting self-care

Sometimes it’s easy for me to seek out ways to stir up my affection for God. I am surrounded by my village of faithful friends, colleagues and family. They make me feel valued and loved. They push me to be a better me.

Other times, it’s easy for me to seek out ways that steal my affection for God. I become lazy with my faith and don’t care for myself well. I lay in a depressive state and don’t even try to come out of it.

Simply put, let’s chase what’s better.

Even if you don’t believe in God, even if you don’t believe in anything, surely you’d like to be happier and healthier rather than sadder and poorer. Surely you’d agree with me that we need to chase the better things: chase things that stir up our joy rather than steal it.

Let’s eat more tacos and laugh more often. Let’s speak fewer mean words and stop hating ourselves. Let’s gather together and encourage one another. Let’s focus less on our weight and be less worrisome.

This is a good life, friends, so let’s make it the best we can. Let’s stir up our affection for God, let’s stir up our joy, let’s stir up good things.