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Marriage and Family
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“But I have this against you, that you have left your first love. Remember therefore from where you have fallen, and repent and do the deeds you did at first” Revelation 2:4-5
Do you remember how you fell in love (or rather grew in love) for your spouse? Were you instantly attracted to his/her looks? Was it their humor? How about the way they interacted with others? What was it that caused you to love your spouse in the first place?
I use the above passage of scripture in wedding ceremonies. It is the perfect passage because it is speaking of a bride and her groom. The groom is Jesus and the bride in the passage is the church in Ephesus. Did you know that we (Christians) are the bride of Christ? Jesus says to His bride that she has left her first love (Him). Notice that His next words are NOT, ‘therefore I am going to leave you, hate on you, or speak poorly to you’. No! His very next words are, “Remember therefore from where you have fallen, and repent and do the deeds you did at first.” His words are encouraging His bride to remember the times of when she was growing in her love for Him. He goes on to encourage her to turn from her ways that caused her to get to this point and start doing what got her to the place of loving Him in the first place.
Two Self Assessments We Should Take from this Passage:
- Have you fallen from your love for Jesus?
- Have you fallen from your love for your spouse?
I recently listened to John Maxwell speak at a leadership conference. His main point for his time was, “Everyday, add value to people’s lives”. I am going to assume something. One of the things that caused you to love your spouse in the first place was that he/she added value to your life. Which, in turn caused you to want to add value to their life. A happy marriage results from two people striving to add value to each other’s life on a daily basis. I can try to add value to many people’s lives as I go through my day, but if I don’t add value to my wife’s life today, then I have not been the husband that God wants me to be.
“Do the deeds you did at first”… Both for your love for Jesus and for your love for your spouse! As you grow in your love for Jesus, you will also grow in love for your spouse!
My encouragement for us this week: Strive to add value to your spouse today, tomorrow, and the next day…. You will see your relationship grow!
Have a great week adding value to your spouse!
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