When Did It Become Routine?

I recently spoke about the church at Ephesus. They were hardworking, doctrinally sound, and faithful to the task … yet Jesus told them, "You have left your first love." This week isn't about adding one more thing to your list. It's about slowing down long enough to ask whether love has quietly turned into duty, and letting Him rekindle it.

Scripture Reading: Revelation 2:1-5

Reflection: There's nothing wrong with your checklist. Bible read, check. Prayer said, check. Church attended, check. The trouble isn't that you're faithful — the church at Ephesus was faithful too. Jesus praised their hard work, their patience, their refusal to tolerate what was false. And still He said, "I have this against you." Somewhere between your first "yes" to Jesus and today, something quieter than rebellion crept in: routine. You can do everything right and still feel nothing. You can show up every Sunday and still be somewhere else in your heart. Today isn't about trying harder. It's about noticing. When did prayer start feeling like a box to check instead of a conversation you couldn't wait to have? You don't need to fix that today. You just need to be honest enough to see it. That honesty is where love always begins to come back to life.

Application Question: Where in your walk with Jesus have you kept the actions but lost the affection?