Many times when a relationship gets stale, the two parties involved hardly realize. It isn't until something triggers a past memory and you think, "man, when was the last time we did that?" Then it hits you that there are many things you and your loved one just don't do anymore.
Relationship counselors make up to $71,000 a year helping couples around the world who claim to have lost the spark in their relationship. Many couples look back to their time dating as the "good ole days," where appreciation, respect, and affection were at its highest. But once the goals of dating were achieved and each person received each other, the flames slowly began to die.
What if you and God were in relationship counseling? What would He say about you? How would He evaluate your relationship with Him? Would He like many couples around the world tell you that you don't love Him like you used to?
In the book of Revelation, Jesus sends messages to each of the seven churches. These messages are a guide to make sure we are not led astray in these last days. The first church He addresses is Ephesus. He said:
Revelation 2:2-3: 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.
Let's examine the first part of Jesus' message. He starts off by talking about how the people of the church of Ephesus showed hard work and perseverance. In other words this church has been pretty busy. We are not talking about "setting up church picnics and bake sales" kind of busy. No this church was in some serious warfare! Jesus explains how the church had to deal with false prophets and wicked people. For many of us, this describes our past seasons to the tee. Satan tried to bring men or women in your life who were counterfeits of God's love and God's intended person for you. But like the church of Ephesus, you saw through these deceivers. All glory to God.
For others there were downright wicked people who satan used to throw fatal blows to your spirit. Many of you dealt with people who were so wicked, that it was beyond your understanding. Being close to God puts you in a place of greatness and perfection through Him. It puts you in a place where you and Him can grow closer. When this person tried to come in this place, you went against your discernment telling you no and you let that person in you and God's space. It isn't because you are dumb or any other negative reason the enemy tries to put in your mind. Satan brought someone to you so wicked that no where in your reformed mind could you have imagined that someone would go so far to hurt you and/or use you. But remember this: every attack satan plans against you is intended to kill and destroy you. So for everything satan threw your way that caused you to fall, don't consider it defeat. If it didn't kill you, it's a victory. No matter how hard you fell. Period. Give glory to God for ensuring your falls won't destroy the will He has spoken over your life.
Let verses 2-3 be of comfort to you. We are fortunate enough to serve a God who knows what we are going through. He knows your hardships not simply because He sat on His throne watching you struggle. He knows what you are going through because He humbled Himself and came to this earth and suffered the same temptations and hardships you are going through. Through the resurrection His Holy Spirit lives in us forever. Wherever you go He is with you. So Jesus is telling you He knows your hardships, but He also admires your faith.
Many times satan tries to use the tears you shed against you and accuse you of departing from God during hard times. God knows what we are facing and it is ok to cry. It is ok to talk to God about how you are feeling during warfare. God wants us to express our feelings to Him happy or sad. If you are coming back to that place and seeking God despite the turmoil going on around you, then you are walking in faith. Through faith you have victory over all situations, no matter how serious it is.
Let's look at this season. This moment. God promised to move people to bigger places in 2015. For more details on that prophecy, check out my post, "New Year, New Places!" For many of you, that movement has already began. You can start to see the wheels beginning to move in your life. As I am writing this, God is showing me a image someone looking out of the window of a moving vehicle. The car is moving from a place of chaos to a place of peace. As the person is looking back, the commotion behind them is becoming smaller and smaller. Now that you have overcome that hard chapter, how will you treat the One who rescued you out of that place?
Jesus goes on to say,
Revelation 2:4-6 Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken the love you had at first. Consider how far you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place. But you have this in your favor: You hate the practices of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.
Jesus basically told the church of Ephesus, "you loved me better when you were in hardship than you do now in peace. Reclaim that love you had for me."
In the first part of His message in verse 3 He says the church, "persevered and have endured hardships for my name." This references a victory. As long as you keep hold to God throughout a battle you have victory. Now peace may not always mean a complete night and day turnaround in your situation. After all God is capable of giving peace in a storm. But peace can mean a sigh of relief in your spirit even if it's for a moment. Jesus is warning the church that in this moment of relief, members of the church have departed from the love they originally had.
This is a major weakness I suffer from. I often go harder in the paint for God during a storm than I do in moments of peace. It's human nature to want to sit down when things have cooled off some, especially during a storm. This goes hand and hand with the prophecy God told us in the post, "New Year, New Places!" God said He is going to take us out of the oven, giving us a chance to cool off. He said it's during this time He will examine us and see if we are ready to move forward or if we need to go back in the oven a little longer. The way we pass this test is to keep our love for God pure. We must love Him as we did when we were against the wall. Jesus warns if we don't, we will have our lampshade removed in the times to come.
God wants us to know that He has His eye on us and He is searching for open hearts ready for Him to pour in.
So back to our relationship example. You and God are in relationship counseling. He looks at you and asks you, "do you love me for what I can do for you, or do you love me for who I am?"
How do you respond?
Better yet, how do you respond with your actions? Do you go back to the sin you carried once you get that job, that person, or that increase you have been praying for, or do you continue to love Him?
God wants us to discover how deep and wide our love is for Him. He wants us to go back to the basics and ask ourselves why we love Him. If that means writing reasons down, do so. This is important because pretty soon things are going to accelerate. But only those with pure hearts will be allowed on the ride. God promised to elevate people this year, but this isn't about personal success. This isn't about being able to change your job or relationship status on Facebook. Instead this is about God raising up people who He knows will be powerful forces against satan's kingdom in these last days. The key to being a powerful warrior is love. You have to love God to fight like a mighty warrior. You don't believe me? Ask David. In Psalm 34 he testifies of this saying,
Psalm 34:9-10 Fear the Lord, you his holy people, for those who fear him lack nothing. The lions may grow weak and hungry, but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing.
Maybe you are like I was plenty of times and have gotten a little comfortable to point where you are not working as hard to display your love as you used to. But let this verse be a warning:
1 Thessalonians 5:4-9 But you, brothers and sisters, are not in darkness so that this day should surprise you like a thief. You are all children of the light and children of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness. So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep, but let us be awake and sober. For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, get drunk at night. But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet. For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Or maybe you are wounded from the previous warfare. Maybe you are upset with God for letting you go through some things. Let verse be of comfort:
James 1:2-4 Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.
Ask Jesus to step in and take all the burdens away that are stopping you from loving Him like you used to. Don't let satan convince you that God is done with you. As long as you are living, there is hope for redemption. I used to think that God's grace was only for the unsaved, and those who are saved should know better, so less mercy was extended. But one day God sent me an image of me falling down. He caught me in His arms and threw me even higher than I was before. This went hand and hand with a prophetic message my brother told me--God will take your fall and use it to elevate you even higher than you were before--IF your heart is willing , open and pure. All He is waiting for is your love. Your fresh pure love. Don't let your relationship with Him get stale and routine. Go back to the basics and uncover the roots of your love for Him!
