One of the most sobering verses in all of Scripture are the words of Christ to the church in Ephesus. Ephesus was a favorite port city of the first-century Roman culture. The ruins of Ephesus are one of the most interesting and compelling sites in modern-day Turkey.

Ephesus was a beautiful Mediterranean seaport where the world and its ideas, cultures, merchandise, and philosophies were meshed together. The architecture was amazing, and the theater, the library, and the homes were among the finest in the world. The temple to Artemis is considered one of the “Seven Wonders of the World.” Ephesus, with all of its glory, was also one of the most decadent cultures of the day.

Paul, the apostle John, and others led the Christian church in Ephesus, and it was considered one of the most important churches in the first century. The gospel changes lives, and many in Ephesus came to know the saving power of Christ through the church and its members.

Yet Jesus, appearing to John on the island of Patmos, told him to write this message to the Ephesian church. That message remains an important message for every believer today. Jesus told John to tell the Ephesian Christians, “I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first.”

Love has a way of growing cold over time if we don’t make that love a priority. Life slips in and the combination of good days and bad days begins to redefine what is acceptable as what becomes normal. Jesus told John to tell the Ephesians that they had abandoned what was acceptable and adopted what was normal instead.

Do you love God more today than you ever have? Is your spiritual life thriving with God’s overflowing love, or has it dulled and become an everyday routine? God doesn’t need our love. We need to love God in order to live with his wisdom and priorities. God’s priorities are wisdom. God wants us to return to that “first love” so that we can once again share his priorities.