But I have this complaint against you. You don’t love me or each other as you did at first! (Revelation 2:4)

“Where did the love go? The thrill is gone!”

A man and his friend were playing golf one day and one of the guys was getting ready to make his chip shot.

As he prepared to stroke the ball on the green, he saw a long funeral procession along the road next to the golf course. The man took off his golf cap, got on his knees and bowed his head to pray.

His friends said, “Wow! That is the most thoughtful and touching thing I have ever seen. I can’t believe how great it was for you to stop your golf swing because of a funeral procession passing by. What thoughtfulness!”

The man replied, “Yeah, well, we were married for 35 years. I figured that was the least I could do.”

That’s what a lot of us do, give a nod to God, as we continue on with business as usual. In our golden text, John is teaching the believers, enthusiasm by itself will not carry us far in faith.

Just as when a man and woman fall in love, so also new believers rejoice at their new-found forgiveness. But when we lose sight of the seriousness of sin, we begin to lose the thrill of our forgiveness.

First love is more than functional love. It is fiery love. Keep that FIRST and FIERY love burning in your heart.

Willie White is pastor of Greater Saint Matthew African Methodist Episcopal Church in Brantley.