I was a youth pastor for about 6 years. These were some of the most fun years of ministry that I’ve had. Going to Summer Camp and getting shot with fire hoses of water, buying a cheap fog machine and having students fill the room with way too much of it before youth services, seeing new students grow in their faith, watching God speak to students in powerful ways and bring hope – these were some of the most fun… and exhausting years. What I loved about youth ministry was the authenticity that they approached God and others with and how they were so open to seeing God work in their lives.
There is a certain simplicity we have when our faith is becoming real that I believe God loves. I shared a message a few weeks back about ago Sunday about an instagram message I got from an old friend in college. We talked about an old worship song we listened to around 2007 that would make us get emotional and act like we weren’t crying. His response stuck out to me so much. He said, “Dude, I wanna be innocent in my faith like that again.” I loved that response because it captures that moment we all have when we first start to follow Jesus.
There is an innocence and a simplicity to following Jesus that can change the longer we follow Christ. We hear sermons that teach on topics we have heard before. We read verses that we have read before. We grow in our faith and our emotions may not be driving it as much anymore (Which is normal for all of us). We start to lose some of the wonder and awe at the little things.
In the book of Revelation, John records a message for 7 different churches that was given to him from Jesus. He writes to a number of different local communities of believers. This is message given to the church in Ephesus:
“To the angel of the church in Ephesus write:These are the words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand and walks among the seven golden lampstands. I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked people, that you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false. You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary. (Revelation 2:1-3 NIV)
They were doing a lot of good! Jesus saw their good deeds and how they were standing firm in their faith. They were holding on to the true teachings they had received and weren’t being swayed by false teachers. They weren’t giving up when things got hard. These were actually huge compliments. But, there was also an area they had neglected:
“Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken the love you had at first. (Revelation 2:4 NIV)
They had lost their passion that they had at first. I don’t read this as an emotion that they had at first. It seems that the Ephesians were so focused on Jesus and had loved Him so deeply at first. It is possible to do a lot of the right things that a believer is supposed to do and still miss the most important thing which is a deep, transformative, daily relationship with God.
Let’s be honest, whenever we read this verse, it brings a certain level of conviction. Very few of us walk around feeling like we are perfect in our pursuit of God. However, we can always change our habits and our focus. One of the questions that I have been asking myself is if I am more focused on learning about God and practicing the right things, or on a daily focus on an actual relationship. I’m convinced that the best way we can hold onto the love that we had at first is by turning our main priority in our faith to walking relationally with God each day and creating time and space in our daily habits.
Here are some questions we can think through to prioritize a personal relationship. This isn’t a list of things to accomplish. Rather, these are opportunities we can use to practice recognizing God’s presence around us:
- Am I creating a daily time and place that I can meet with God to read His word and pray?
- Am I taking advantage of the moments when I am alone throughout the day to recognize that God is present in my office, car, or walk?
- When I am talking to someone who is hurting or struggling with an issue, am I also listening to how the Spirit is leading me to respond in the moment?
- How can I focus on the wonder of small things like God’s creation, the friendships and relationships we have, the amazingness of coffee, etc…
SOAP Scripture: Psalm 1:2
S: (scripture)
Read the above passage and underline, highlight, or write down passages that stand out to you. Maybe re-read it a few times if that’s helpful.
O: (observation)
Write down things you observe about the passage. Maybe it’s a word that stood out to you, something the passage made you think about, or a question that you have.
A: (application)
Write down some ways that the passage applies to your life. Make it personal.
P: (prayer)
Take a moment and pray. Ask God to make the passage practical to your everyday life.
