2 “I know all the things you do. I have seen your hard work and your patient endurance. I know you don’t tolerate evil people. You have examined the claims of those who say they are apostles but are not. You have discovered they are liars. 3 You have patiently suffered for me without quitting.4 “But I have this complaint against you. You don’t love me or each other as you did at first![b] 5 Look how far you have fallen! Turn back to me and do the works you did at first. If you don’t repent, I will come and remove your lampstand from its place among the churches. 6 But this is in your favor: You hate the evil deeds of the Nicolaitans, just as I do.7 “Anyone with ears to hear must listen to the Spirit and understand what he is saying to the churches. To everyone who is victorious I will give fruit from the tree of life in the paradise of God. -Revelation 2:2-7 (NLT)
Within the church culture, we often hear this passage interpreted as “return back to your first love; do your first work back over”. Here’s the revelation the Lord gave to me from this particular scripture and quote:
Imagine being in a relationship (marriage) for several years – life happens and now the two of you are drifting from each other. The communication has grown poor, there’s a lack of intimacy and now you’ve allowed yourself to become open & exposed to more “exciting” people and things. You’ve even found someone who sparks your interest – someone more entertaining who seems to be fulfilling what you feel like you’re missing (Jeremiah 17:9-10). Some people call this the 80/20 rule. You stopped working on your current relationship/marriage; you stopped watering and cultivating the grass in your yard and began admiring the [artificial] greenery in someone else’s yard. You’re enjoying this high you’re on because you’re now “living your best life”. Things were too dull and became too much to deal with in your marriage. You fail to realize that your relationship is salvageable & grow further and further away, less and less interested in making it work because pride says “I’ve done too much to go back; I’ve been gone too long” and lust says “it’s too fun out here. I deserve to be happy” [What’s good to the eyes isn’t always what’s best for the heart]. The Lord said to me that this is an example of a relationship between Him and a backslider.
Jeremiah 17: 9-10 “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it? “I the Lord search the heart and test the mind, to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his deeds.”
Jeremiah 3:14 “Turne, O backsliding children, saith the Lord, for I am married unto you: and I will take you one of a city, and two of a family, and I will bring you to Zion.” (KJV)
Return back to the beginning when you first received salvation and revaluate “why” you made the choice to. We don’t always take into account how much the things here on earth is parallel to the things in the sprit realm. Just as we can gradually lose interest or fall out of love with a human being, regardless of how many years you’ve been a couple, the same thing can happen with our relationship with God if we don’t stay in constant communication with him and if we start to having wondering eyes and itchy ears for the things of outside influences.
Life gets hard and sometimes painful, unexpected events takes place but, we should NEVER forget who God is and has always been to us. And for any reason we do, we should NEVER turn our back on him. Sometimes it’s not a matter of leaving God physically by committing obvious sins but, we can gradually leave Him by entertaining things that he despises, more regularly. For example, a person can still be married to you, still in the home with you but, gradually leave you mentally and emotionally. Before you know it, they’re totally gone while still lying next to you. You notice their disconnect and bring attention to it but, they say to you, “I never left you or filed for a divorce”. Meanwhile, they’ve checked out or began entertaining impure and unhealthy things outside of your marriage/relationship.
Empowered and Inspired 