“But I have this complaint against you. You don’t love me or each other as you did at first! Look how far you have fallen! Turn back to me and do the works you did at first. If you don’t repent, I will come and remove your lampstand from its place among the churches.” (Revelation 2:4–5 NLT)

One way to keep your Christian faith vibrant and impactful is to maintain and nurture your first love—that is, the passion and excitement for Christ’s work that you felt when you first began your relationship with Him.

I once knew a guy who was always in the best shape. I would run into him a couple of times a year, and he always made a point of reminding me that he was in much better shape than I was. He would tell me, “Feel my arm!”

“That’s hard,” I would comment.

“That’s right!” he would say. But he was a stressed-out and very intense kind of guy. One day, I received the sad news that he had died of a heart attack. This guy had it all together on the outside. He was in great shape. But inside, his heart was in trouble.

You may have the greatest physique—bulging biceps and rippling abs. You may have incredible stamina and energy. But what good is all of that if you have heart disease?

This story serves as a warning not only about our physical health but also about our spiritual health. You might be able to flex your spiritual muscles in front of other people. You might say, “Look at my schedule! Look at all that I’m doing for God. Look at what I’ve done. Listen to my accomplishments.” That’s good as far as it goes. But it falls short of revealing the whole picture.

When Jesus told the believers at Ephesus that they had left their first love, He was getting to the heart of the matter, the root of success or failure in the Christian life. He was saying, “You are leaving this first love. You are neglecting these basic things.”

The Ephesians, like many Christians, were emphasizing things other than the essentials of the faith. They were bogging themselves down with human expectations. That’s when the Christian life becomes drudgery. That’s when you start saying, “There are so many rules. There are so many restrictions. I want to live as I please. I want to be free.”

When you begin to think like that, you’re leaving your first love—and the joy and fulfillment that come with it.

Jesus said of His followers, “My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life” (John 10:10 NLT). A rich and satisfying life is one that is marked by joyful and humble service, a spirit of gratitude, a hunger for God’s Word, and a passion for the gospel. Jesus died to make such a life possible for those who believe in Him.

That’s our first love. That’s what we must never lose.

Reflection question: How do you maintain and nurture your first love? Discuss Today's Devo in Harvest Discipleship!

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The audio production of the podcast "Daily Devotions from Greg Laurie" utilizes Generative AI technology. This allows us to deliver consistent, high-quality content while preserving Harvest's mission to "know God and make Him known."

All devotional content is written and owned by Pastor Greg Laurie.

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“For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.” (Luke 11:10 NLT)

Pride and self-sufficiency are two big obstacles to spiritual growth. A good way to overcome them is to cry out to God when you need help.

The Bible tells the story of Simon Peter, who had the extraordinary experience of walking on water with Jesus. When the impossibility of the situation began to dawn on him, however, his faith faltered. He cried out, “Save me, Lord!” (Matthew 14:30 NLT).

How easily Jesus could have said, “Where is your faith, Peter? You made your bed; now lie on it. Try swimming.” But the Bible says, “Jesus immediately reached out and grabbed him” (Matthew 14:31 NLT). Immediately. I like that.

When you begin to sink and cry out, “Lord, save me!” He will immediately reach out. But you must cry out for His help. And that’s hard for some people to do.

As a kid, I spent a lot of time at the beach. When I was out bodysurfing one day, a big set of waves started coming in. So, I did what I was supposed to do: I swam toward the waves and went under them. When I looked up, there was another set. I swam under those, too. One set after another came. In time, I drifted so far out that the people on the beach looked like little ants to me. Suddenly, I felt exhausted—with no strength left and nothing to hold onto. In that moment, I knew I was in trouble.

I realized I had two choices. I could cry, “Help!” and the lifeguard would come running with his life preserver. When we got to shore, my friends would laugh, and I would never live it down. Or I could drown with dignity.

I cried out! A lot of us don’t want to admit our need. We don’t want to cry out to God. We want to maintain our dignity. To get the proper perspective on what to do in times of need, we need to look to God’s Word.

Jonah cried out to God after he was swallowed by a giant fish (see Jonah 2:1–9).

Hannah cried out to God for a son. First Samuel 1:10 says she “was in deep anguish, crying bitterly as she prayed to the Lord” (NLT).

King David was under tremendous stress when he wrote, “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me? Why are you so far away when I groan for help?” (Psalm 22:1 NLT).

Jesus quoted the words of Psalm 22 when He cried out to God from the cross (see Matthew 27:46). If Jesus wasn’t too proud to cry out to God, neither should we be.

There are only so many things we can do to help ourselves. Crying out to God frees us from our own limitations. It opens a whole world of possibilities. God can bring ultimate good from any situation. All we have to do is cry out to Him for help. Every day of my life, I need the best God has to offer. And you do, too.

Reflection question: What do you need to cry out to God about in your life? Discuss Today's Devo in Harvest Discipleship!

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The audio production of the podcast "Daily Devotions from Greg Laurie" utilizes Generative AI technology. This allows us to deliver consistent, high-quality content while preserving Harvest's mission to "know God and make Him known."

All devotional content is written and owned by Pastor Greg Laurie.

Listen to the Greg Laurie Podcast

Become a Harvest Partner

Support the show: https://harvest.org/support

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

“I tell you the truth, wherever the Good News is preached throughout the world, this woman’s deed will be remembered and discussed.” (Matthew 26:13 NLT)

First Thessalonians 5:11 says, “So encourage each other and build each other up, just as you are already doing” (NLT). Romans 15:2 says, “We should help others do what is right and build them up in the Lord” (NLT). As believers, encouragement, praise, and kindness are essential to our relationship with others—and with the Lord. The more we incorporate them into our interactions, the deeper we will grow in our faith.

My granddaughter Stella used to love to pick flowers. She would come to me with a smile on her beautiful face and say, “These are for you, Papa!” It always warmed my heart that she brought me flowers so that I could appreciate them. There is a story in the Bible of a woman named Mary who warmed Jesus’ heart at a crucial moment in His life.

Mary understood what Jesus meant when He said He was going to die. Though Jesus’ message didn’t seem to penetrate the minds of His own handpicked disciples, who had spent their every waking hour with Him for three years, Mary understood.

One night, Jesus and His friends were gathered at the house of Simon in Bethany. Mary listened as the Lord quietly spoke to the audience gathered. But she saw and heard something else. She saw the lines etching His face and read aright the problems reflected in His eyes. An inner sense told her that the disciples were wrong in expecting a kingdom. The Master meant what He said and said what He meant: He literally was going to Jerusalem to be crucified.

She couldn’t begin to grasp something so terrible but accepted it because He said it. She had to do something. She would not wait to give some floral tribute at His funeral. She would bring her flowers now! She would give the very best she possibly could.

So, Mary took some very expensive perfume that was probably a family heirloom and poured it on the head of Jesus. Some were angry at her and criticized her for such a waste, as the street value of such a perfume was around $25,000. But in Mary’s mind, nothing was too good for Jesus, and she wanted to show her love to Him.

Jesus was impressed and even commended her for it. He said, “I tell you the truth, wherever the Good News is preached throughout the world, this woman’s deed will be remembered and discussed” (Matthew 26:13 NLT). Nothing is ever wasted if it is given with a right heart for God’s glory.

That’s a good thing to remember about people you love—people who have impacted you as a Christian. Don’t wait until their funeral to say it. Say it now. Thank them for their influence. Let them know just how much you love and respect them. Bring your flowers now.

Reflection question: Who needs to receive encouragement, praise, or kindness from you right now? Discuss Today's Devo in Harvest Discipleship!

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The audio production of the podcast "Daily Devotions from Greg Laurie" utilizes Generative AI technology. This allows us to deliver consistent, high-quality content while preserving Harvest's mission to "know God and make Him known."

All devotional content is written and owned by Pastor Greg Laurie.

Listen to the Greg Laurie Podcast

Become a Harvest Partner

Support the show: https://harvest.org/support

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.