Enjoy Life, Enjoy God

FIRST THINGS

November 9, 2009

Married couples come to me and share that they face some discord, challenges, after ten, fifteen or more years. The thrill is gone.

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.
- Revelation 2:4,5 TNIV

When these couples come to me I ask them to think back to their courtship. Often they describe mutual attentiveness to one another, behaviors that nurture love and romance, that gets lost in the hurry of "normal life." I encourage them to put some courtship behavior and wooing back into their schedules. That's also what John tells the Ephesian church: "You have forsaken the love you had at first." In other words, your passion for Christ and the enthusiasm for your commitment has drifted into mediocrity and humdrum. Repent.

Repent does not so much mean a change of mind, but a change of behavior. So what about you? Have you forsaken the love you had at first? Consider how far you have fallen and repent. There is no upside to humdrum.
Joyfully,

Dale Patterson