When Love Fades

Have you ever had someone love you so much that they were more interested in what was good for you than in what would make you think well of them? This would be the person who would tell you quite frankly how that hat looked on you or that you were dating a loser. This would be the person more interested in your future than your past, who thought you could always do the impossible if you would try, and who always wanted you to see yourself in the best light. This would be the person who you knew to be sincere when they expressed concern for you. Perhaps their honesty was a bit much to take at times but you always turned to them when you wanted to see the truth of a situation, and then avoided them when you wanted to lie to yourself.

Apostle Paul was like that with the Galatians; he sincerely loved them and he was sincerely concerned for them. Something had happened to them. Something had interrupted their faith. They had started off well, were sincere in their love of God and in their faith in him. They had tasted of his goodness, power and glory but now something was dragging them back to their former practices and beliefs:

Formerly, when you did not know God, you were slaves to those who by nature are not gods. But now that you know God—or rather are known by God—how is it that you are turning back to those weak and miserable principles? Do you wish to be enslaved by them all over again? (Galatians 4:8-9)

That is a good question: Once you have met and know Jesus how could you ever turn your back on him? Once you have tasted that love and walked in the richness of his fellowship, how could you ever be tempted by anything ever again? Unfortunately it is not that difficult to do.

It's not that people stop believing Jesus, it's just that they stop having time for him. Like the beginning of any affair in a marriage, it starts by not spending time with the object of your affection.. It's not that the love disappears, it simply starts fading a bit, gets weaker and the bond between the two people loosen. After that it doesn't take much to grab our attention and steal our heart away. We stop spending time with Jesus, get busy with other things, fill our head and heart with other notions, and before we know it we have another lover and we are lost to our first love.

It is unbelievable how weak we are with relationships. Those that don't fade and eventually break, stay together out of fear of not being together, but it has nothing to do with love. The relationship is still cold and broken. There is no life to it, no flame of passion. This too can describe us with Jesus. We are still loyal to him but we really don't feel anything. We serve but it is more out of duty or fear than it is out of a loving and thankful heart. It is in this state that we start up with a secret lover or two. We fall back into what we were familiar with and mask it in religion. It is a sad thing being trapped in a loveless marriage.

Praise be to God that there is no reason to stay in that state. You can rekindle that love by discovering the real Jesus all over again. Throw off everything that has entangled you, give those other lovers the boot, throw open the windows of your heart and be honest with Jesus. Confess the hidden things to him and allow him to start with you all over again. You don't need to hold on to those useless things, ideas, practices, rituals, anything you have come to depend on. The only dependency you should have is on Jesus, the true lover of your soul. He must be your everything or he will become nothing to you.

Examine your relationship with him again. Is he less important to you than he was in the beginning? Is there anything you would rather do than spend time with him? Are there things other than Kingdom things that are your motivation in life? What are the first things you consider when you go to make a decision? How much of your day involves Jesus? Is he your reason for everything or is he something you do when you can fit him in? Is your relationship as strong as it was or is it beginning to fade? Are you primed for an affair with your former life? Are you being attracted to other things? Well do something about it today. Don't put it off. Tomorrow could be too late for you. Ask Jesus for forgiveness and allow him to lead you back to health.

What happened to that one honest friend you had? Is she just a fading memory now; a well appreciate shadow from your past? Don't let Jesus become the same thing. You will never find a better lover, friend, champion, hero, companion and master than Jesus Christ. Hold on to him tightly and never let him go.