TODAY’S SIGNATURE VERSE ••• Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. (Revelation 2:5a ESV)
PRAISE & PRAYER PROMPT ••• It’s not very often that I’m excited to empty the dishwasher, but yesterday—I happily emptied it! Twice! Our new dishes arrived and I was excited to replace our old ones which were chipping and missing pieces that had been broken with use.
I even planned a special dinner to officially christen our new dishes… Okay, fine. It was spaghetti. Nothing special or elaborate, but it was still a home-cooked meal.
That’s what we do when we get excited about something, isn’t it? Five years earlier, I had been just as excited about the dishes that have now been replaced.
Enthusiasm can dull over time when we let it.
When we first become a Christian, we get really excited about Jesus. Maybe we’re eager to tell others about Him. We happily read our Bibles… But time… and things… and distractions… even people… Those can all pull us away from our enthusiasm. We can fall into the trap of taking our Savior for granted and, if we’re truly honest, sometimes we get bored by the whole Christian lifestyle.
Gasp! “I can’t believe you said that, Denise!”
I know none of us wants to admit it, and maybe you’re one of the few who hasn’t felt that way… Good for you! But I’m a prodigal. I know first-hand the dangerous reality of taking Jesus for granted and being bored by my faith. I know how fun worldly things seem and how easy it is to get a raging case of Shiny Object Syndrome. In the past, my Bible has gotten dusty and my prayer life has been rusty because I was too busy ignoring Jesus.
In Revelation 2:5a, Jesus spoke to the Church at Ephesus and said, “Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first.“
We have to look inward. And take Jesus’ words to heart. We ask ourselves what happened… How could we let ourselves be so deceived? Paul wrote, “But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, how can you turn back again to the weak and worthless elementary principles of the world, whose slaves you want to be once more?” (Galatians 4:9).
It’s a valid question.
The world will never offer us even a fraction of what Jesus promises and yet, the temptation is real. But what’s even more real are these truths: Jesus is better. Jesus is stronger. Jesus is our Hope. And Jesus has already won.
So when the temptation for the fun of the world tries to distract us, we have to fix our eyes on Jesus. Like Peter, we will sink when we don’t stay focused on Him (Matthew 14:22-33).
As a side note, the Christian lifestyle that I once thought boring is the best, most exciting, joyful experience ever. While the world may think I’m too serious or missing out, I have found that the Christian life is far more enriching than the alternative.
Today, as you pray, thank Jesus for being everything we need. Ask the Holy Spirit to help you keep your heart and eyes focused on Him and ask Him to help you resist the temptations of the world. Ask Him to keep your enthusiasm for Jesus unbridled and strong.
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