Return to Your First Love

A memory forever chiseled in my heart is that of my grandparents' two chairs—always side by side, facing the same direction. Whether on their cabin porch or beside the trail up the mountain, there were two homemade stumps, two large rocks to rest upon, or a bench that fit just the two. They were married for 72 years.

Before I married, I set a heart goal to be a couple who communicated well as we grew closer to Christ and each other. I wanted to enjoy spending time together while passing down the legacy of faith to our children. Though I did not grow up in a Christian home, I wanted to win at home.

Each of us is in one of two places:

1. Your Christian parents modeled what a Christian marriage looks like and prayed for you to accept Christ as your personal Lord and Savior.
2. As a first-generation believer, you spend time in the Word and with other believers, learning how to be a disciple so you may disciple your children and pass on the legacy of faith. 

THE DANCE OF FAITH

To understand the secret to a great marriage, we must first understand the marriage between Christ and the church. The Bible begins and ends with a marriage, and in between is the great dance of faith between two partners.

But let’s be honest: In a broken world full of chaos, crowds, noise and hurry, faith can be a tangled mess; and so can our lives, even as Christians. In our world of athletics, we can get consumed with competing for records, statistics, status and championships.

Pursuing athletic success often causes us to live long nights into the weekends. As a coach, there is a tension between the love for your children, the student-athletes God has entrusted you to help raise and the difficult emails, texts and conversations that naturally come with the calling. These conversations can make us question how long we can last before we crash in the lane God has placed us in. 

GAMEBOOK FOR LIFE

Over the years, I have learned that to “win at home,” I need to be in the Word daily to seek God’s wisdom, direction and discernment, which is the opposite of what the world dictates. The Word is my gamebook and the source of my strategy for life, steeped in love and grace. 

Love and grace are found on the cross, where, out of God’s sacrificial love, the blood of Jesus redeems us. The cross allows us to sit in oneness and unity through the good times and hard times. As believers on Team Jesus, we are cheering on our people, waiting together, expecting a win in this game we call life, and sharing the beautiful legacy of faith with everyone around us.

But what happens when we stray from the cross? Just as a relationship between two people who do not spend time together fades, so does our relationship with Jesus. 

“But I have this against you: You have abandoned the love you had at first.” –Revelation 2:4

We ask ourselves this question daily: Are we chasing our glory or His? Wins, achieved goals and broken records all come from utilizing the gifts God has given us in the opportunities He has placed before us.

However, the chaos, crowds, noise and hurry often make us forget this. How do we remember and return to our first love? 

REMEMBER, REPENT AND RETURN

If you have lost your first love, now is the time to repent, or return, to Him. Even if you don’t feel like it, open the Word, turn on the praise music and through prayer, open up the conversations with Him again. As a parent longs to hear from his or her children, God wants to hear from you. He wants to spend time with you. If you have never started a relationship with Jesus, now is the time to join the team.

WE WANT TO BE READY!

Why? Because, at the end of time, the bride (the body of Christ) will be reunited with the groom (Jesus) and our lifetime is a time of preparation. We want to be ready!

Remembering we are on the same team cheering on the body of Christ as we prepare for eternity brings peace, reconciliation, unity and joy in every relationship you have.

"Let us be glad, rejoice, and give him glory,

because the marriage of the Lamb has come,

and his bride has prepared herself.” –Revelation 19:7 

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Live It Out:

Quarter Verse – “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us. We observed his glory, the glory as the one and only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.” –John 1:14 

Question – Am I chasing my glory or His?   

Challenge – As Christians, we are on the same team, growing in Christ and growing together. Do I have unity with my spouse or teammates? If not, what do I need to do to reconcile? 

*If you read this article and aren’t in relationship with Christ yet but would like to know more, we invite you to go through FCA’s The FOUR, which explains how an everlasting and fulfilling life with God is possible.

We want you to join us as we go through the Glory journey this year! Discover Chasing Glory, Received Glory, Reflecting Glory and Lasting Glory in your heart and purpose by diving into God’s Word and joining us through monthly content and challenges. Visit 

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