First Works

Keeping our hearts vibrant and alive for Jesus can be hard. It is easy to get caught up in the struggle to survive the week and to go through the motions of relationship with God, but lose the closeness and peace that only He gives. There is nothing that can take the place of relationship, nothing you can do, nothing that will fill that place or take the place of the time that it takes to get there. Shortcuts in relationship don't work. It is about quantity and quality. Listen to these words that I personalized from Revelation 2: I know your deeds, Cyndi, and your toil and perseverance,... and you have perseverance and have endured for My names sake and have not grown weary. But, Cyndi, I have this against you, that you have left your first love. Remember therefore from where you have fallen, repent and do the first deeds. I have heard Jesus calling me with these words. He must have the preeminence, the first place of my time, my relationships, and all that I am and hope to be. The first works, I remember what it was like when I was first saved. I spent hours reading my Bible and praying. The only way to live in continuous relationship and in continuous revival is to to live in continuous first works. I must take the time, whatever time is necessary and put Him on the throne of my heart and my life. If I was a slave, my time would belong to my master; as a bondslave of Christ my time also belongs to my master, Christ. He is a good master and will make sure that everything that we truly need to get done does get done. It may mean cutting out the optionals of life but to live in the peace of God and in the center of His will, what could be better. I want to fall in love with Christ anew. This week I will be committing myself to the "first works" and trust in Christ that my heart will soon follow my actions.