Heart breakers are people who build up expectations, make promises, say all the right things; and then, leave! Just about everyone knows heart break sometime in life. When my daughters were teenagers, I dreaded knowing that some boy would sweet talk them, promise them forever, and then two weeks later, walk off, leaving them with a broken heart! And, it happened. No matter how much love their Mom and I poured into them, it took time for them to recover, to realize that their life was not over at age 16! In my pastoral ministry, people in my care have brought a broken heart into my office because a spouse left for another. Men and women, alike, cry when love fails.
Did you know that we can break the heart of our Lord? It’s true! In the book of the Revelation, Christ Jesus speaks to seven churches about their successes and failures. The church in Ephesus was a good church. I think I would have really liked being their pastor! They were hard-working, didn’t give up with things got tough, knew their doctrine, and remained holy. Who wouldn’t like a church like that? But, despite all this good stuff, they broke the Lord’s heart! How? I quote His words: "Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken your first love." (Revelation 2:4, NIV) The passion was gone, the joy replaced by dutiful service! Jesus Christ wants more than our good works, more than our showing up in church, more than our paying our tithe! Who knew? He wants us to love Him!
There’s an old song that includes these lyrics: “You don't bring me flowers. You don't sing me love songs! You hardly talk to me anymore when you come through the door at the end of the day.” (Neil Diamond) It’s a song about heart break, not because the relationship was over, but because the passion had become a “used to be.” Have you allowed your love for the Lord to cool? Are you staying holy, going to church, reading your Bible – but failing to give Him time, failing to talk life over with Him in prayer, failing to seek His guidance for each day? Love demands TIME more than anything!
Jesus went on to call on those disciples to change. His prescription for them included three words: Remember! Repent! Repeat! "Remember the height from which you have fallen! Repent, and do the things you did at first." (Revelation 2:5, NIV) Have you settled for a religion? Are you content with orthodoxy, ritual, and discipline? They are all good things in their place. We need solid doctrine to keep us from falling into deception. We need ritual that comforts us and keeps us from being distracted by silly fads that come and go in our churches. We need discipline that sustains us when emotion ebbs. And, we need to stoke the fire of passion for Jesus Christ, to love Him with our “heart, soul, mind, and strength!”
I don’t want to be heart-breaker! So, I am going to - Remember! Repent! Repeat!
"The Lord protects all those who love him, but he destroys the wicked." (Psalm 145:20, NLT)
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I'm calling out to You;
There must something more,
some deeper place to find,
some secret place to hide,
where I've not gone before!
Where my soul is satisfied
and my sin is put to death;
and I can hear Your voice
and Your purpose is my choice,
as natural as a breath.
The Love I knew before,
when You first touched my life;
I need You to restore,
I want You to revive!
Could You place in my heart,
A passion for Jesus;
A hunger that seizes
my passion for You?
My one desire,
my greatest possession
My only confession,
my passion for You!
Passion for Jesus
Brian Houston
1999 Thankyou Music (Admin. by EMI Christian Music Publishing)
CCLI License No. 810055
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