“But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first. Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent.” (Revelation 2:4–5, ESV)
When Jesus spoke to the church in Ephesus, He commended them for their perseverance and their defense of truth. They worked hard. They tested false teachers. They endured for His name. But beneath that strong surface, something essential was missing: their first love. Their service had become more about routine than about relationship. They had knowledge and duty, but the flame of devotion was fading.
That warning is not only for Ephesus. It is for us. Every Christian who has walked with Christ for years faces the same temptation—to trade zeal for routine, to replace wonder with weariness, to forget that love is what fuels everything in the Christian life.
The Drift of the Human Heart
We know this drift well. At the beginning of faith, everything feels alive. Scripture leaps off the page. Prayer flows easily. Gratitude overflows because God’s mercy feels fresh. But as time passes, daily life presses in. Trials come. Results are slow. The world’s voice grows louder, and zeal fades.
Think of someone newly saved. They can’t stop talking about Jesus. Every worship song moves them to tears. But after ten or twenty years, that urgency often cools. They still believe, but the fire is not the same. Instead of joy, prayer feels like a chore. Instead of hunger, Bible reading feels like an assignment.
Paul saw this danger in Corinth and warned, “I am afraid that as the serpent deceived Eve by his cunning, your thoughts will be led astray from a sincere and pure devotion to Christ” (2 Corinthians 11:3). Mature faith is not supposed to leave devotion behind, but many of us find that it does. We grow in knowledge yet lose tenderness. We grow in stability yet lose urgency.
The writer of Hebrews gave the same warning: “Therefore we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it” (Hebrews 2:1). Drift is slow, but it is deadly. It doesn’t happen in a day. It comes from small compromises, quiet distractions, and gradual forgetfulness.
That is why Jesus calls us back with three simple commands: remember, repent, and return.
Remember: Gratitude as the First Step
The first step to restoring first love is remembering. Gratitude keeps memory alive. Psalm 103:2 says, “Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits.” David knew his soul’s tendency to forget, so he commanded himself to remember.
We forget answered prayers. We forget forgiveness. We forget protection and provision. We even forget salvation itself—the wonder of being rescued from sin and death. Gratitude pulls these memories back into the light.
Think of a person who has prayed for work. For weeks or months they cry out to God, and finally, He opens the door to a job. At first, they rejoice and tell everyone how God provided. But after a year or two, the job becomes ordinary, and they hardly think of God’s gift anymore. Gratitude fades, and so does wonder.
Israel in the wilderness did the same. They saw the Red Sea part and manna fall from heaven, yet they grumbled as if God had abandoned them. Why? Because they stopped practicing gratitude. Their lack of thanksgiving blinded them to His faithfulness.
In contrast, gratitude today anchors us in God’s character. Lamentations 3:22–23 says, “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” Every morning brings fresh reasons to give thanks. Gratitude fuels zeal because it keeps our hearts soft and our eyes open.
Repent: Turning From Coldness
Jesus did not just tell Ephesus to remember. He told them to repent. That means admitting that letting love grow cold is not a small weakness—it is sin.
When love is absent, duty takes over. Service becomes heavy. Prayer becomes mechanical. Worship becomes shallow. Without love, even good works lose their fragrance. Paul said it clearly in 1 Corinthians 13:2: “If I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.”
Repentance restores the relationship. It is not about chasing an old feeling but about confessing the ways we have allowed the world, pride, or distraction to take Christ’s place in our hearts.
Think of a husband and wife who begin their marriage with tenderness and attention, but over time, drift into routine. Their marriage survives, but the warmth is gone. The way forward isn’t to recapture the excitement of a wedding day—it is to confess neglect, turn back, and intentionally invest in love again. So it is with Christ.
Return: Doing the Works You Did at First
The final step Jesus gave was to return—to do the works you did at first. Notice that this is not about manufacturing feelings. It is about obedience that flows from love.
What were those first works? For many, they included prayer that was eager, worship that was wholehearted, and testimony that was bold. Evangelism often comes most easily when zeal is fresh, because gratitude for salvation spills over into witness.
Think of how many of us shared our faith right after conversion. We told family, friends, even strangers, because our hearts were overflowing. But years later, that boldness quiets down. Returning means going back to those simple, faithful acts—not as a checklist, but as a response to love.
Jesus said in John 14:15, “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.” Obedience is not the source of love, but the evidence of it.
Practical Steps to Keep First Love Alive
Restoring first love is not a one-time event but a daily choice. Here are a few ways to weave gratitude, faithfulness, and zeal into your walk with Christ:
- Begin each morning with thanksgiving – Before checking your phone or making plans, thank God for three mercies.
- Pray Scripture back to God – Turn Psalm 103 or Philippians 4 into your own words of praise.
- Keep a journal of answered prayer – Write them down and revisit them when discouragement comes.
- Guard against drift – Identify distractions that cool your zeal, like endless scrolling or worldly pursuits, and cut them off.
- Return to simple obedience – Share the gospel, encourage a brother or sister, or sing with joy. These are the works of first love.
- Stay connected in community – Share testimonies of God’s faithfulness with others. Gratitude grows when multiplied. (Go Deep)
Anchored in His Faithfulness
At the heart of restoring first love is not our strength but God’s unchanging character. Our emotions rise and fall, but His faithfulness never wavers. Paul reminded the Thessalonians, “He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it” (1 Thessalonians 5:24).
Gratitude opens our eyes to see His mercies. Repentance clears away what blocks love. Zeal grows as we return to obedience. And through it all, God’s faithfulness is the anchor that holds us.
The good news for the Ephesian church—and for us—is that Jesus does not give up on His people. He calls us back because He loves us. He wants our service to be fueled by love, our doctrine to be shaped by devotion, and our faith to be marked by zeal.
Let us then remember, repent, and return—living each day in gratitude for His mercy, anchored in His faithfulness, and renewed in zeal as we wait for His return.
Spread the Gospel; lives depend on it!
I pray, MARANATHA! (Come Quickly, Lord Jesus!)
Your brother in Christ,
Duane
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