The Danger of Drifting
Revelation 2:4 (NKJV)
Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love.
Losing your first love doesn’t usually happen in a single moment. It’s not a dramatic rejection of God, but a slow drift of the heart. Just like a boat that isn’t anchored will quietly slip farther from shore, our souls can gradually drift away from intimacy with Jesus while still looking steady on the surface. We can still serve, still pray, still read Scripture — but our passion is missing.
The Ephesians hadn’t abandoned faith altogether. They were still strong in works and discernment. But the fire had faded. What once burned bright was now just a flicker. Jesus doesn’t say they “lost” their first love, as if it slipped away by accident. He says they “left” it. Somewhere along the way, they chose activity over affection, routine over relationship. That’s what makes this warning so sharp — it’s possible to be busy for God and yet be far from God.
This matters because love is the engine of everything else in our walk with Christ. Without love, obedience turns into legalism, serving turns into burnout, and holiness turns into pride. Jesus doesn’t just want what you do; He wants who you are. He doesn’t just want your hands; He wants your heart. That’s why His correction isn’t meant to shame, but to call us back into the intimacy we were created for.
Ask yourself today: Am I drifting? Has passion given way to routine? Am I showing up, but without the joy I once had in His presence? The good news is that Jesus doesn’t just point out the drift — He offers the way back.
Prayer:
Jesus, open my eyes to see where I’ve drifted from You. Show me if I’ve traded devotion for duty or passion for routine. Draw me back to the fire of my first love. I don’t want to just know about You — I want to walk closely with You. Rekindle my heart again. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love.
Losing your first love doesn’t usually happen in a single moment. It’s not a dramatic rejection of God, but a slow drift of the heart. Just like a boat that isn’t anchored will quietly slip farther from shore, our souls can gradually drift away from intimacy with Jesus while still looking steady on the surface. We can still serve, still pray, still read Scripture — but our passion is missing.
The Ephesians hadn’t abandoned faith altogether. They were still strong in works and discernment. But the fire had faded. What once burned bright was now just a flicker. Jesus doesn’t say they “lost” their first love, as if it slipped away by accident. He says they “left” it. Somewhere along the way, they chose activity over affection, routine over relationship. That’s what makes this warning so sharp — it’s possible to be busy for God and yet be far from God.
This matters because love is the engine of everything else in our walk with Christ. Without love, obedience turns into legalism, serving turns into burnout, and holiness turns into pride. Jesus doesn’t just want what you do; He wants who you are. He doesn’t just want your hands; He wants your heart. That’s why His correction isn’t meant to shame, but to call us back into the intimacy we were created for.
Ask yourself today: Am I drifting? Has passion given way to routine? Am I showing up, but without the joy I once had in His presence? The good news is that Jesus doesn’t just point out the drift — He offers the way back.
Prayer:
Jesus, open my eyes to see where I’ve drifted from You. Show me if I’ve traded devotion for duty or passion for routine. Draw me back to the fire of my first love. I don’t want to just know about You — I want to walk closely with You. Rekindle my heart again. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
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