Why Do We Lose Our First Love (Part II)

The Underlying Cause Of Losing Our First Love Is Losing Our Sense Of Needing God

God's Examples To Us

We see a process in God's dealing with His own people.  God led Israel out of the bondage of Egypt to the Promise Land.  Each step of the way brought new needs which were far beyond the Israelites' ability to meet: deliverance from the pursuing Egyptian army, food and water in the desert, and direction on where and when to move.  All through those years God did not allow His people to plant crops or to build houses; they were totally dependent on His provision, direction, and protection.  Even the absence of manna one day each week was a powerful reminder not to take Him for granted.

When the Israelites reached the border of the Promised Land, God predicted that they would lose their love for Him, and He told them exactly how it would happen.  The very same sequence takes place in our lives today.

How We Lose Our Since of Need

As soon as God allowed Israel to enjoy the abundant provisions of the Promised Land, they forgot the idea of a day-by-day provision for their needs.  They no longer counted on the hand of God for bread, but trusted in their own hands and land to raise crops.  They no longer needed God to keep their shoes from wearing out.  They multiplied their gold and silver so they could make and buy all the shoes they wanted.

Before long the very warning that God gave them beforehand came true.   "Beware that you do not forget the LORD your God by not keeping His commandments, His judgments, and His statutes which I command you today,  lest—when you have eaten and are full, and have built beautiful houses and dwell in them; and when your herds and your flocks multiply, and your silver and your gold are multiplied, and all that you have is multiplied; when your heart is lifted up, and you forget the LORD your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage."
Deuteronomy 8:11-14

Often we are very aware of physical needs.  But we must also become more and more aware of our spiritual, mental, and emotional needs.  The more we are aware of all these needs, the more intense is our prayer.  The more we are aware of God meeting these needs, the more genuine is our thanksgiving.  And the more we tell others of His greatness in meeting needs, the more sincere is our praise.

When we are secure for the future and well-fed for the present, we begin to believe that we can avoid the consequences of violating God's standards.  This is a good one to read again...When we are secure for the future and well-fed for the present, we begin to believe that we can avoid the consequences of violating God's standards.  We become bold in doing those things which displease Him.  We do not fear His not meeting our needs because they are already met.

There is wisdom in Proverbs 30:8-9 "Remove falsehood and lies far from me; give me neither poverty nor riches.  Feed me with the food allotted to me; lest I be full and deny You, And say, “Who is the LORD?” Or lest I be poor and steal, and profane the name of my God.

How Things Become Gods

When God provides for our needs, we tend to become vain and think it was our own strength or wisdom.  We become ungrateful and fail to maintain our dependence upon God.  Instead, we depend upon our own abilities, wisdom, strength, and resources.

For example, if we expect money to do for us what only God can do, then money has become our God.  We begin to build our life around our source of security.

Then when problems come which are beyond our resources to solve, and our security is threatened, we experience fear.  Fear of loss is God's signal that we have transferred our dependence from Him to something or someone else.  Fear may be the signal that God is getting ready to remove a false god out of our lives so that we can restore our sense of need for Him.

Twelve Evidences That We Have Lost Our "First Love" For The Lord

Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love. Revelation 2:4

1. When my delight in the Lord is no longer as great as my delight in someone else, I have lost my "First Love." And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength...Mark 12:30
2. When my soul does not long for times of rich fellowship in God's word or in prayer, I have lost my "First Love."  As the deer pants for the water brooks, So pants my soul for You, O God. Psalm 42:1
3. When my thoughts during leisure moments do not reflect upon the Lord, I have lost my "First Love."  God is not in all his thoughts...Psalm 10:4 
4. When I claim to be "only human" and easily give in to those things I know displease the Lord, I have lost my "First Love." If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love. John 15:10 "If you love Me, keep My commandments. John 14:15
5. When I do not willingly and cheerfully give to God's work or to the needs of others, I have lost my "First Love."  But whoever has this world’s goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him?  1 John 3:17
6. When I cease to treat every Christian brother/sister as I would the Lord, I have lost my "First Love."  ...inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’ Matthew 25:40; A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. John 13:34
7. When I view the commands of Christ as restrictions to my happiness rather than expressions of His love, I have lost my "First Love." He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him.” John 14:21
8. When I inwardly strive for the acclaim of this world rather than the approval of the Lord, I have lost my "First Love." Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 1 John 2:15; If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. John 15:19
9. When I fail to make Christ or His words known because I fear rejection, I have lost my "First Love." 
   Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My word, they will keep yours also. John 15:20
10. When I refuse to give up an activity which I know is offending a weaker brother/sister, I have lost my "First Love." And if another believer is distressed by what you eat, you are not acting in love if you eat it. Don’t let your eating ruin someone for whom Christ died. Romans 14:15
11. When I become complacent to sinful conditions around me, I have lost my "first Love." Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, Matthew 24:12
12. When I am unable to forgive another for offending me, I have lost my "First Love." Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen. 1 John 4:20

I can personally tell you that I will be digging into a couple of these twelve personally as they have struck a major cord or should I say nerve with me.  I pray that this give you some scriptural insight to how we can lose our "First Love" and become Luke-Warm Christians.

In Part III we will be Re-examining Spiritual Disciplines in the light of our First Love.  I give thanks to Bill Gothard for his Godly insights and wisdom into scripture for these wonderful truths.

Praying for you...do everything for His glory alone.