Has Your Passion Faded?

“My soul longs, yes, even faints for the courts of the Lord; My heart and my flesh cry out for the living God.” Psalms 84:2

Why does passion fade so easily? Do you remember when you first fell in love and you spent hours talking on the phone, writing love letters, spending time with one another and telling one another how much you love them?

Jim and I – Taken June 15th, 1974 – Day after our wedding –

My husband and I experience a time in our lives where the passion we once had for one another had faded. One day we “woke up” and look at one another and questioned how we became so “stale” in our relationship. We were taking one another’s love for granted, and it seemed that we were growing apart somehow. We took a long look at our relationship and evaluated how we got to this place.

Our answer… we lost our passion! Right then we decided to bring back the passion in our marriage. We started making a conscious effort to spend quality time with one another; writing notes; sending emails; speaking kindly to one another; going on dates and just talking about us – not the family, ministry or work; even making time for sexual relations. We brought back our passion for one another. We have vowed to not allow the busyness of life to take away our passion again.

The same can be said when we first experience God’s love, we spend hours thinking about Him, studying His Word, and telling others how much He means to us. Then it happens. Our busy schedules slowly diminish our passion. Our longing for Jesus and our study of His Word become an occasional glance. Surely the object of our affection hasn’t changed! Or has it?

We see in Revelation that the church at Ephesus struggled with maintaining its spiritual passion. John writes that Jesus wanted to help them restore and maintain their love and zeal for Him. Although He commended this church for their work, Jesus saw that they had abandoned their first love—Him. “Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love. ” (Rev. 2:4).

The Ephesians had lost their spiritual passion for Jesus. It had become a cold and unthinking belief. Maybe they had allowed busyness to enter their hearts. Whatever it was, something had taken the passion they had once reserved for the Lord.

Have you allowed something to steal your passion?

If your passion for your spouse has diminished, make a conscious effort today to find out why and then determine to make the necessary changes.

Have you lost your spiritual passion for your Lord and Savior?

If so, it can be restored and maintained when you consistently remember His amazing love demonstrated at Calvary. Repent of your sinful, unloving attitudes, and out of love for Jesus repeat your “first works” (v.5). Ask the Lord to bring back your joy of your salvation. Re-evaluate why you are serving the Lord, and what areas of your life that need changing. If you are too busy to spend time with your Lord, then it’s time to re-evaluate and streamline your life… even your ministry. What good are you to others if you have not time for your first love- Jesus? Bring back the passion! Fall in love all over again!

Dear heavenly Father, I come to you with an open heart asking you to reveal to me anything and everything that may be hindering me in my passion for you. May I never lose my first love-YOU. In Jesus precious name, Amen