Putting God Back In First Place

PUTTING GOD BACK IN FIRST PLACE
**If You've Left Your First Love, It's Not Too Late To Return**

Maybe your relationship with God has stalled or
stagnated. Perhaps you're attracted by the world, but
jaded by the church. You even may have spurned the faith
you once embraced. Or you might just wonder if God's love
ever could satisfy you again.

It can. Jesus repeatedly challenges His followers to
love Him, not just serve Him. Devotion always precedes
duty. If a cold, efficient Christian service has replaced
the warm, loving relationship you once had with the Lord,
reignite your heart's flame.

How? Revelation 2:5 offers a three-step plan for
reviving your first love for Jesus Christ: "Remember
therefore from where you have fallen, repent, and do the
deeds you did at first."

REMEMBER

Remember who Jesus is. Think back to your early walk
with Christ, when there was no doubt He was the object of
your affection. Remind yourself of His attributes,
abilities, and place as your Savior. Recall His love and
sacrifice for you. You'll have a cross to bear as you
reject the world, but living under His lordship is the
only way to truly live.

Remember who you are. Sharpen the reflection in your
spiritual mirror. See yourself as a child of the King.
You are crucified and resurrected with Christ: dead to
sin, alive in Him. You are no longer a slave to Satan.
Thanks to the Emancipation Proclamation of Calvary,
you're free to serve a new master.

Remember what awaits you. A right relationship with
Christ offers contentment and blessings, both earthly and
heavenly. As an obedient believer, you are promised that
all your needs - financial, physical, emotional,
spiritual - will be met. And those who overcome for the
sake of Gods' Kingdom in the end are rewarded with
special honor, recognition, authority, and intimacy with
Him.

REPENT

See the importance of repentance. It restores and
strengthens the intimacy of your cooling spiritual
relationship. Repentance means a change of thought and
action. Your conscience may lead you to spot a problem
and confess it, or friends may point out blind spots in
hopes of restoring your Christian walk. In severe cases,
God may intervene with divine discipline, or remove His
protection to return you to fellowship.

Stop two-timing God. Put away all other loves that
might rival Christ. Cease the adultery of idolatry:
carrying on a love-affair with the world while shutting
God out of your life. Divided loyalties lead to
unfaithfulness. True love gives you grace to purify your
heart and return to Him.

REDO

Think with a new mind. First, use your head, ordered
by the Word and will of God. Then walk step-by-step
toward your calling. Learn the mind of Christ. Reprogram
your thoughts. Meditate on His truth. As a believer, you,
like a butterfly, have all you need to fly - if you'll
reject the caterpillar mindset.

Prioritize God's Kingdom. When you love someone, that
person's interests become yours, too. The Kingdom was
Jesus' top earthly concern. He never forgot that His
treasures were in heaven, not on earth. Reflect that
perspective of faith on your finances and resources.
Make God the master of your choices; live one day at a
time, without worry or anxiety, trusting in His ability
to provide.

Care for the church. As part of Christ's family, you
are commanded to help others. Comfort those who are
misunderstood, hurt, rejected, tired, or weak. Work with
others to encourage and to stimulate love and good deeds.
Share, sacrifice, or pool resources to meet needs. You
many have to confront, speak the hard truth in love, or
even draw away from a backslider to avoid encouraging or
participating in his sin. But always care enough to
restore one who has repented of sin. It's part of helping
to bear another's burdens.

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God Bless!!!

Adam

(courtesy of 'Live It' by crosswalk.com)