WEEKLY DEVOTION: 1 SEPTEMBER 2026 | Returning To Our First Love
Read Revelation 2:1-7
‘1 “To the angel of the Church in Ephesus… 3 You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name and have not grown weary. 4 Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken the love you had at first. 5 Consider how far you have fallen!’
Many people, when reading this passage, tend to wonder: Isn’t God a bit harsh? The Ephesus Church seems to be a solid church which has done many things right. Yet, God gave thema very harsh rebuke in v.5: ‘Consider how far you have fallen!’
First things first, let’s take a look at the areas in which the Ephesus Church had done well:
- V.2 – ‘I know your hard work and perseverance.’
- V.2 –‘ … that you cannot tolerate wicked people.’
- V.2 – ‘… have tested those who claim to be false prophets but are not.’
- V.3 –‘ … endured hardship for my name and have not grown weary.’
- V.6 – ‘… hate the practices of the Nicolaitans, which (God) also hates.’
So, it seems the Ephesians were hard working, steadfast, discerning and held fast to God’s truths. However, God’s indictment for them was that they had ‘forsaken the love (they) had at first.’
With that, the question that emerges is: Is it possible to do all the right (and even difficult) Christian ‘things’ but have no love? And it seems the answer is yes. The Church in Ephesus appears to have done all the right things, but somehow, it was not done out of a genuine love for God or people. In some sense, this was an issue of improper motivation.
Friends, this ought to challenge us. A Christian can attend church faithfully, read the Bible, serve, go on mission trips, or even be a leader in church, but these outward acts of piety hold little value when done out of improper motivation.
Some improper motivations may be:
- A desire to look spiritual and pious
- A sense of fear and guilt
- Fear of disappointing others
- A desire to be praised by others
Whatever it may be, God’s Word challenges us to search our hearts today. While good habits and spiritual disciplines are very important, we must not neglect what is truly going on in our hearts. Our hearts can grow cold even while doing all the ‘right’ Christian things.
Let our actions be driven by our love for God and others. Let us return to the heart of worship. To do that, let’s take time to wait on God and allow our hearts to be captivated by His love. Let our eyes behold the wonder of God’s creation and let us make time to enjoy the warmth and beauty of His Holy Presence once again.
Ps Kelvin Chua
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