Have You Lost Your First Love? How to Return to Pure Devotion to God

Our First Love

We often hear about the importance of loving God and staying devoted to Him, but what happens when that love begins to fade? What does it mean to lose our first love for Jesus—and how can we return to pure devotion to God?

In this post, I share a personal encounter that led me to rediscover what it means to truly love Jesus first.

Let’s dive right in.

It was November 11th when I had an unexpected encounter with God. I was in the shower, when I heard the Spirit of God say, “Do not lose your first love.” At first, I was confused. I immediately responded, “Lord, I haven’t lost my first love. I love You. I haven't lost my first love.”

But as soon as I got out of the shower, God pointed me to Revelation where it talks about losing the first love. I spent the rest of the day reflecting on these words with the Spirit of God. The next day, I went to a coffee shop so that I could spend some time journaling about what God was saying to me.

Yet, I hold this against you

Let’s start by reading Revelation 2:1-4a:

“To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: These are the words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand and walks among the seven golden lampstands. I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked people, that you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false. You have persevered and endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary. Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken the love you had at first.”

In this passage, the first love being referred to is Jesus. The church at Ephesus had done many things well—they persevered, worked hard, and even endured hardships for His name. Yet, despite all their efforts, they had lost their first love.

The words the Lord had highlighted to me were these… “You have persevered and have endured hardships… and yet you have lost your first love.”

As I sat in the coffee shop and read these verses, I was taken aback. I wondered how this could apply to me. I love God, I live to please Him, and I spend time with Him. So, why did the Lord say that I had forsaken my first love?

And so I asked God. How could something like this be applied to me?

The Lord answered me directly, “Come back to your pure devotion to Me. Not devotion to ministry. Not devotion to people. Not devotion to a job. Pure devotion to Me.”

What is Pure Devotion?

When the Lord spoke to my heart, He led me to several scriptures about what pure devotion looks like:

Psalm 95:6-7

“Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the Lord our Maker; for He is our God and we are the people of His pasture, the flock under His care. Today, if only you would hear His voice…”

Matthew 10:37-38

“Anyone who loves their father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; anyone who loves their son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. Whoever does not take up their cross and follow Me is not worthy of Me.”

We must be devoted to the Lord our Maker and recognize that we are His flock. But the question is: What are you loving more than Jesus?

Take a moment to honestly reflect on this question. I had to do the same, and the Lord was clear with me.

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What I Was Loving More Than Jesus

I asked the Lord to help me be honest with myself and He revealed that I had been putting myself above Him. I asked, “How am I doing this, Lord?” And then, the Spirit showed me exactly how.

I had lost my first love by “losing the things I did before.”

At first, I didn’t get it. “But God, I’m doing all of these things,” I said. “I speak to You, I worship You, I spend time with You… Why is it that You’re telling me to do the very things I’ve been doing?”

The Lord revealed to me that it wasn't what I was doing that was the problem. It was why I was doing them.

I’m not sure when this shift in my time with the Lord had started, but God showed me that I had started to spend time with Him not out of pure devotion for him, but to better myself.

I was doing it to gain more knowledge, to reduce stress, to find peace, and to heal. While these things flow from being with God, they cannot be the reason we spend time with Him.

A Call to Purity in Devotion

If you feel the Lord speaking to your heart right now, I have some steps for you to take.

1. Ask the Lord: “What in my life do I love more than You? What am I prioritizing over my relationship with You?” Quiet your mind and ask the Spirit to reveal the truth to you.

2. Have you lost your pure devotion? Ask the Lord to show you what has gotten in the way of your pure love for Him. Maybe there’s something you haven’t dealt with in your heart—something you’ve never taken the time to talk to God about. You might be just one conversation away from breakthrough and freedom in your relationship with the Lord.

3. Repent: Psalms 51:17 says “My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart you, God, will not despise.” Once the Lord reveals these things to you repent from living the way that you were and ask God to give you the strength and courage to walk in the way he is calling you to live.

4. Come back to the simplicity of Jesus: Let’s go back to when everything in our lives revolved around Jesus. Don’t let life’s distractions force you to fit Jesus into your schedule. Instead, let everything flow from your relationship with Him. Come back to your first love, with pure devotion.

   
   

Let us spend time with Him because our souls are thirsty for Him—not because of what we hope to gain from being with Him. When everything flows from our love for Jesus, that is when we will experience the fullness of His presence in our lives.

Let’s come back to our first love—pure devotion to Him.

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Remember you are so loved, valued, and cherished!