Return to Your First Love

A memory forever chiseled in my heart is that of my grandparents' two chairs—always side by side, facing the same direction. Whether on their cabin porch or beside the trail up the mountain, there were two homemade stumps, two large rocks to rest upon or a bench that fit just the two. They were married for 72 years.  

Before I married, I set a heart goal to be a couple who communicated well as we grew closer to Christ and each other. I wanted to enjoy spending time together while passing down the legacy of faith to our children and the children God entrusted us to help raise.   

Over the years, I have learned that to “win at home,” I need to be in the Word daily to seek God’s wisdom, direction and discernment, often so different from what the world dictates.  

Love and grace are found on the cross, where, out of God’s sacrificial love, the blood of Jesus redeems us. The cross allows us to sit in oneness and unity through the good times and the hard times. As believers on Team Jesus, we are cheering on our people, waiting together, expecting a win in this game we call life and sharing the beautiful legacy of faith with everyone around us.  

Here is the question we must ask ourselves daily: Are we chasing our glory or His? Wins, achieved goals and broken records all come from utilizing the gifts God has given us in the opportunities He has placed before us.  

Has my focus shifted from the Savior back to myself again? How do I return to my first love and adjust to loving the LORD with all my heart, mind, soul, and strength?  

If you have lost your first love, now is the time to repent, or turn back, to Him. Even if you don’t feel like it, open the Word, turn on the praise music, and through prayer, open up the conversations with Him again. As a parent longs to hear from his or her children, He wants to hear from you. He wants to spend time with you. He chose you long ago; all He needs from you is to respond.