Many
times we try to get people to study the bible more, pray more and get more
involved more in the activities by our online posts and such sermons. These by
themselves are good. Prayer is good, word study is great and being involved in
church activities is wonderful.
But we
must note that once the focus gets off Jesus to maintaining these good works
then it is no longer of grace. Many times we just simply got people try to keep
a devotion, prayer schedule and spiritual calendar. They labour and so involved
that they eventually leave their first love. It’s just a thin line between walking
in grace and under the law (a performance- driven system). Then it gradually goes on a downward spiral. All the focus then becomes them and their failures.
A lot
of people have gotten to the place where they have built everything on them and
their labour. According to Revelation, Jesus is seen in the midst of the golden
candle sticks. Once we lose focus is all falls back to work. At that moment we forsake
our first love, which is that he first loved us.
Everything
around us must be built around the goodness and kindness of God towards us and
not our trying to repaying his love. We simply can’t repay His love and trying
to do so just cheapens grace. That was the message to the church at Ephesus
from John.
2 Unto the angel of the
church of Ephesus write; These things saith he that holdeth the seven stars in
his right hand, who walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks;
2 I know thy works, and
thy labour, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them which are evil:
and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast
found them liars:
3 And hast borne, and
hast patience, and for my name's sake hast laboured, and hast not fainted.
4 Nevertheless I have
somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love.
- Revelation 2:1-4
We must put
our focus on Jesus at all times. This way prayer gets exciting every time, word
study is effortless and church activities becomes exciting. It ceases to be a
labour and the weight of religion is dropped off our shoulders. This is the rest
that comes the unconditional love of God. Jesus ministry was based on God
declaring Him as His beloved son even before he started.
Our job is not to get people
to be involved more and more but to reveal the beauty of Our Lord Jesus and
loveliness of His grace and watch people respond from love.
