Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place—unless you repent. (Revelation 2:5 NKJV).
In the Scripture above we find John quoting Jesus as He addresses the church of Ephesus. In verse 4, Jesus said, “Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love” in reference to the Ephesus church’s relationship to Him. I think that sometimes in our marital relationships we could say the same phrase. Although we can recount many good activities and attitudes that our spouses may embody, we still have a “nevertheless statement” that lingers in our minds.
As we have grown in our relationships, we have developed what we may categorize as safe and comfortable habits and activities. We somehow become predictable and undetermined to meet one another’s basic needs. That basic need is to know that we love each other and place no one besides God above our personally chosen spouse. As with God, we want to be number one and have it verified on a regular basis with visible and tangible evidence. The Word of God tells us we are made in His image.
Therefore as Christ was having a coaching moment with the church of Ephesus, I want to do the same with you regarding your marriage. We must all remember to do the “first works”. Repentance, in this instance, can mean making an about-face back to our initial love-act practices. The loving attention and acts of devotion accompanied by verbal affirmation and declarations of commitment must be continued. We must love each other in the manner that established our relationship as well as continue to grow and expand our love’s communication and demonstration style.
Let’s return to the love works that endeared us to our spouses and continue to explore the many new and varied ways of expressing our love and commitment to one another.
Sacred Covenant Ministries 