FIRST LOVE
We love because He first loved us.
1 John 4:19 (NIV)
I have shared it before, but on the airplane, it always feels selfish to me when they say the first thing you should do in case of an emergency is put your mask on before helping someone else with theirs. This feels like the antithesis of how Jesus lived. He was always loving and serving others. The key difference, though, is that He always found time to break away and experience the love of the Father. We must learn this simple principle: you cannot love others when you are empty. It's not spiritual to run yourself into the ground and then try to love your spouse or others. We must first pick up the promises of God, put them to our faces and drink deep so we are filled with the fresh power of the Spirit. Everything, and I mean everything, has to be built around this principle.
Henri Nouwen speaks about two types of love. He speaks about first love and second love. First love, he says, is from God because it will never leave us, never hurt us, never forsake us. As John says above, He first loved us. The second type of love is the love of a spouse, friend, job or family member. As great as these are, they can hurt us, leave us (in life or death), and they aren't perfect. You cannot build your life on a solid foundation if you've built your life on second loves. The most selfless thing you can do each day is draw near to the first love, even if you only have a few minutes. I would contend Jesus was one of the busiest men on planet Earth, but He always found time for the Father's love. He always found time for His first love. We must be no different if we want the life of Jesus flowing through us. We live in a culture that has a motto of try harder or keep pushing. Jesus' motto was "Come to Me all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” (See Matthew 11:28.) Notice, He will give us rest. He will give us rest, recharge us with His love, and allow us to love others through His strength, not ours. This is the only way to truly love your spouse, your family and your friends. You cannot bear the burden of everything on your own. You need the supernatural first love of God pumping through your veins. Make it a habit to break away each morning, afternoon or night and draw near to God's love. He is faithful, and He is for you!
APPLICATION: Don't try harder. Draw near to Jesus today.
PRAYER: Ask God to help you create a rhythm or schedule where you can break away a few minutes each day, or several times a day, and just sit in the Father's love. Try it for a week and see what it does in your soul. Spend time praying and asking God to direct you.
“… Our Father in heaven…” Matthew 6:9b (NLT)
- What do You want to say to me today as my Father?
“… may Your name be kept holy.” Matthew 6:9c (NLT)
- What do You want to reveal to me about Your power today?
“May Your Kingdom come soon.” Matthew 6:10a (NLT)
- Help me make Your priorities my priorities today.
“Give us today the food we need,” Matthew 6:11 (NLT)
- Is there anything specific You want me to do with my time or the people I’m around today?
“and forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us” Matthew 6:12 (NLT)
- Reveal to me anyone I need to forgive or ask for forgiveness.
“And don’t let us yield to temptation…” Matthew 6:13a (NLT)
- Is there anywhere I’m vulnerable to temptation?