First Love Series

That’s what a learning curve is, it’s putting the routine stuff on automatic pilot so that your mind can focus on what’s important. How long would it take you to load the dishwasher if you had to stop and think with each dish to decide where it should go? Or imagine yourself behind the wheel of a car, over on 55 going 60-65 MPH. If you have to keep thinking all the time about what your feet and hands are doing, you wouldn’t have time to pay attention far more important things - like the other vehicles on the road. You know the old proverb, “familiarity

breeds contempt.” That’s certainly true of driving. A hundred years ago people were terrified out of their wits at the thought of going as much as 25 miles per hour. And now we are so blase about it that some people can even talk on the phone at 65. In traffic. Although it’s probably not a good idea.

Unfortunately, for some of us, church is almost as familiar as driving, and while I don’t think we treat our spiritual lives with actual contempt, I think many of us take it for granted. Even those of us who pray and read their Bibles regularly can do so with only the surface of our minds. And the busier we are, even with good

things, useful things, necessary things, the more likely it is that we’ll rush through the bits that no one will notice if we skip. Except of course, for God.

All relationships need careful attention and tending, or they become rote, automatic. I’ll wager that every couple in this church knows what happens to their relationship when they’ve been too busy to spend time just enjoying each other’s company. When that happens, if you want to have any hope of staying married, or having more than a marriage of convenience, you’ll re-think your priorities and

build in time for each other. Without that conscious commitment, no relationship can survive. Even - or I should say especially - in the most important relationship that a Christian has, our relationship with Jesus Christ. Because Jesus isn’t going to get in your face and say, “We’ve got to start spending more time together or I’m out of here.”

Think of this letter as the fish or cut bait letter from a neglected spouse. I’m going to be sexist here and assume that the husband is the bread-winner. His way of showing his family that he loves them is by providing for them. Those long hours at the office, the overtime, the business trips - why, they’re for his family, right? But what Dick and Jane are going to remember is that Daddy wasn’t there for the

dance recital, the scouting trip, the missed ball game or birthday party.

“You do all kinds of good things,” says Jesus to his church at Ephesus, “but you’ve got your priorities backward.” Notice that this isn’t a bad church. And Jesus starts by complimenting them on what they’ve gotten right.

First, he knew their works. Here Jesus uses the Greek word ergon,, from which we get our word energy. This was an active church. What sort of things might have been going on? Choir practice, small groups, Bible studies, pot-luck suppers, committee meetings, mission speakers come to mind.