When you think about love, who comes to mind?
Is it your significant other? Perhaps a beloved family member or a treasured friend?
While we may be able to make a list of those we love (and all the good things they have done for us), nothing can quite equate to the perfect, unconditional love that Jesus shows us every day.
Agape Love
The Greek word for love, agape, is mentioned hundreds of times throughout the Old and New Testaments. (In fact, scholars strongly believe the Bible’s central theme is love.) With covenants, stories of reconciliation and humility, we see the vast love God has for His people.
But the most significant display of love we have and will ever experience is that of Jesus.
“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”
John 3:16, NKJV
Our beloved Savior not only humbled Himself to that of a man, but He died a death He didn’t deserve so that we could live with God forever. (Talk about real love!)
Jesus also came to earth to show us how to love and be His love. Through His living example, we have gained an understanding of God’s principles and how we should apply them to our personal lives. (1 John 5:20)
There is nothing like the love of Jesus!
Losing Sight of Jesus’s Love
While Jesus’s love is perfect and given without measure, there are seasons of life where believers drift back to selfish motives, losing sight of His love.
The truth is, many of us leave the church because another human being caused us pain. We stop reading our Bibles because a small electronic device promises to give us answers for every problem we encounter. We step down from serving in ministry because our calendars are too full and we are exhausted. We have lost our way and have forgotten what real love looks like.
This is problematic because now we are blindly listening and following the way of the world instead of the way of life.
So how can we turn back to the One who loves us more than we can fathom? Together, let’s look at four action steps to recovering our love for Jesus.
4 Steps to Recovering Our Love for Jesus
Step 1 | Remember God’s Faithfulness
What did life look like when you first accepted Christ? My guess is that it felt electric, exciting, and brand new.
Maybe you were excited to read your Bible and couldn’t wait for your next opportunity to pray for someone. Perhaps you were counting down the hours for midweek bible study. Any time with Jesus was encouraging and fulfilled you in ways you couldn’t describe. God’s presence was near, and you saw Him in every circumstance.
These things weren’t just a coincidence; they were for your benefit. Isaiah 46:9 says:
“Remember the former things of old, for I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like Me.”
These spiritual memories help you to remember the goodness of God and all that He delivered you out of. For when you walk through the fire, you can recall everything He has done. (And be encouraged, Church, not even the enemy can steal your remembrance of God from you!)
Step 2 | Rebuke Any Stronghold in Your Life
It is common for believers to periodically slip back to their selfish ways of living before Christ. When this happens, we become more in love with ourselves than with Jesus. This poses a detrimental problem because now our testimonies become more about the kingdom of you instead of the Kingdom of God.
Saints, it is crucial to your spiritual lives to rebuke the enemy’s power over your life. Speak the life-giving name of Jesus over your families, circumstances, and future. By declaring the name of Jesus, we are eternally saved (Acts 4:12), we are covered (Prov. 18:10), we are equipped (Mark 16:17), and the enemy must flee (Mark 5).
When we declare the name of Jesus over our strongholds and trials, we hold His authority!
Step 3 | Repent From Sin
Derived from the Greek word metanoeō, to repent is to turn from sin and turn toward God. It is the act of changing one’s heart, mind, and resolve to pursue holiness.
One thing the generations of today struggle with is the continuous beckon call of that small handheld device we all carry around. It makes its presence known through incessant notifications and alerts. Reels pull us in for hours at a time. And while many of us claim we use
social media to stay connected to family and friends, it only distracts us from spending time with God.
Joel 2:13 says, “So rend your heart, and not your garments; return to the Lord your God, for He is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness; and He relents from doing harm.”
Church, it’s time to surrender the things that distract you from the presence of Jesus. Let us turn from our self-gratifying and impatient ways and return to the Lord.
Step 4 | Return to Jesus
Deciding to follow Jesus is more than a declaration—it is a lifestyle that expresses God’s leadership and authority over your life. It changes thought patterns, actions towards others, and transforms our speech from words of death to life. These things happen naturally as we abide in Christ.
“Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.”
John 15:4, NKJV
As we lean into the presence of God, we will find our way back to Him. He will ignite our passion, He will make straight our paths, and He will rekindle our love for Him.
Saints, return to your first love. Find your way back to Jesus.
For more on restoring your connection with God, check out Pastor John K. Jenkins, Sr.’s sermon Recovering From a Lost Love.
