Three Signs That You Have Forsaken Your First Love

Several years ago, Jill and I went to Universal Studios in Orlando for the day. In all of our excitement we quickly pulled into one of the thousands of parking spots and gave no thought to where exactly we parked. After a long, hot, exhausting day of riding roller coasters and enjoying the attractions we slowly made our way out into the abyss of cars. It only took a couple of seconds before it dawned on us… we have no idea where the car is (it was a rental by the way). There’s a pretty sick feeling that comes over you when you realize you’ve lost a vehicle that doesn’t belong to you in one of America’s largest theme park parking lots. We had some friends with us so, we split up, searching up and down a garage like a scene from Seinfeld (if you know, you know). We eventually found it and you'll be glad to know I recovered my nerves as well. I’m sure you won’t find it hard to believe how adamant I am now about taking note of where we park at all times. It only took losing something so valuable one time for me to never let it happen again.

In Luke 2 Mary and Joseph realize they have lost twelve-year-old Jesus in the bustling city of Jerusalem during the Passover Festival. I can’t think of a more accurate depiction of what it looks like to forsake your first love.

THE WORD

41Every year Jesus’ parents went to Jerusalem for the Festival of the Passover. 42When He was twelve years old, they went up to the festival, according to the custom. 43After the festival was over, while His parents were returning home, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but they were unaware of it. 44Thinking He was in their company, they traveled on for a day. Then they began looking for Him among their relatives and friends. 45When they did not find Him, they went back to Jerusalem to look for Him. 46After three days they found Him in the temple courts, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. 47Everyone who heard Him was amazed at His understanding and His answers. 48When His parents saw Him, they were astonished. His mother said to Him, “Son, why have you treated us like this? Your father and I have been anxiously searching for you.” 49“Why were you searching for me?” He asked. “Didn’t you know I had to be about my Father’s business?” - Luke 2:41-49

THREE SIGNS YOU HAVE FORSAKEN YOUR FIRST LOVE

1. Your walk with Jesus has become more of a ROUTINE than a RELATIONSHIP.

Sometimes the biggest threat to relationship is routine. I am a VERY routine person. I wake up at the same time every day and the first three to four hours are virtually the same. But I've been shocked to learn that my two and four-year-old don’t seem to care about my morning routine. There are mornings where one of them wakes up early, or sick, or cranky, or simply needy. In those moments, I have a decision to make. What am I more committed to, my routine or my relationships?

When our spiritual walk becomes less relational and more ritual the result is perhaps a slow but definite disconnect.

At the beginning of the story we're told that going to the Passover festival was something Mary and Joseph did every year “according to custom.” Another translation says they went to the festival “AS USUAL.” We know from earlier in the chapter that when they first brought Jesus to Jerusalem as a baby it was extremely significant for them and they treasured every word spoken over Him. Yet here they were, over a decade later, after years of traveling as usual, attending as usual, celebrating as usual, and now, what was once unique was now simply… usual.

You can probably relate. Maybe you've gone to church week after week for years. Maybe you have a really healthy habit of reading your Bible daily, or a weekly practice of attending a connect group. Maybe you’ve faithfully served in some area of ministry within your church for some time. If so, you are probably familiar with the temptation of allowing your spiritual disciplines to morph into spiritual routine.

If we’re not careful, somewhere along the way Jesus ceases to be a person in our lives and instead, He simply becomes a practice in our lives. Less personal, more practical. Rather than our first love, He becomes our second nature.

#2. Your walk with Jesus has become RELIANT on others.

The reason Mary and Joseph traveled for an entire day without noticing Jesus wasn't with them is because they assumed He was with the people around them. Once they realized He was nowhere to be found, the first place they looked was “among their relatives and friends.” The fact is, they were expecting the people around them to account for their lacking.

So many travel through life convinced that connection to Jesus is possible through connection with others. That’s a false reality. Your connection to others may ENRICH your connection with Jesus, but it can never replace it. Jesus is DEEPLY PERSONAL. He’s not content with having relationship with us through our church, our family, or our friends.

In Matthew 7, Jesus gives us a terrifying warning that on the day of judgement there will be MANY who say, "did WE not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew YOU.”

What a sober thought to stand before God as a ME after having lived your life as a WE.

#3. Your walk with Jesus has become reserved.

After three days of searching and panicking they find the Son of God teaching in the temple to everyone’s amazement. Mary’s immediate reaction is to scold Him. “Son, why have you treated us like this? Your father and I have been anxiously searching for you.”

Do you hear the self-centeredness? "How could you do this TO US?! You belong TO US! You’re supposed to be with US!" And therein lay the crux of the problem. In less than twelve years of having this joy come into their lives, as supernaturally as He had come, they had forgotten why He came. Though He had merely come into their lives as a baby, He had come into the world as God. He was not coming in response to their need for a son, He was coming in response to the world’s need for a savior.

Could it be that we most commonly forsake our first love not because we forget WHAT He has done in our lives but rather WHY He has done it?

We are saved to do good works prepared in advance for us. We are not just saved FROM judgement, we're saved FOR a mission. The more apprehensive we are about sharing our faith, the more our faith diminishes. If He’s not valuable enough for you to share, He’s not valuable enough for you to keep.

Mary and Joseph had forgotten what it was they were truly a part of. They were faced with the reality that they not only had to give Jesus their hearts but they were going to have to give Jesus to others as well.

CONCLUSION

When you take a step back and look at the big picture of this story, at its core, it's really about two people who lost the love of their life and their willingness to do whatever it took to get it back.

The remedy to getting your love back is GOING back. In Revelation 2 Jesus tells the church in Ephesus that in order to recover your first love you must “do the works you did at first.” Your first love deserves your first works. Jesus will only remain first if you seek Him first.

Obviously Mary and Joseph had not stopped loving Jesus. It wasn’t that they had stopped giving Him their affection, they had simply stopped giving Him their attention. Your devotion follows your attention. That’s why billions of dollars are spent on advertising, because your attention is valuable ( after all, we call it paying attention. You only have so much to give).

There have been seasons of my life marked by extreme involvement in the church, the ministry, and even spiritual disciplines, all while my heart was not engaged. This is not about what has your time. It's about what has your attention.

Ask yourself today, in what season of my life was I most in love with Jesus? If it’s not your current one, then ask yourself, what was I doing in that season? What were the things you DID at first to KEEP Him first, and how can you reintroduce them into your life now? This is worth ANY cost. As a matter of fact, the cost of not returning to your first love is far greater.

Set aside the routine. Stop relying on others. Let go of your reservations.

It’s time to come back to your first love.