Last year I decided to change my diet. I counted the carbs, sugars and calories I was consuming every day. I kept up with what I was eating, said no to some of my favorite dishes and made tough choices. From August to December, I was vigilant about it and I lost over 20 pounds. Then when the holidays came, I gave myself room to relax and enjoy some of the foods I had skipped out on. A few days later, I went back strong, but then justified a cheat meal here and there. In my mind, I was still following the rules, but I was beginning to drift and slowly gained weight. Neglect in any area of our life, including our faith, works this way. It’s a slow process that starts with justification of a behavior. When things become optional, they become occasional. Changes start occurring in our life without us knowing until we’re far from where we want to be.
In 2 Kings 22-23, the nation of Israel had drifted from God’s Word. They had begun to allow idols in the Temple and had neglected their relationship with God until King Josiah had the Temple cleaned out. Someone found the Book of the Law and read it to him. Immediately he realized how far they had drifted from God and he tore his clothes in repentance. He called everyone to Jerusalem then verse 8 says, “The king took his place of authority beside the pillar and renewed the covenant in the Lord’s presence. He pledged to obey the Lord by keeping all his commands, laws, and decrees with all his heart and soul” (NLT). The nation had revival like never before. They tore down the shrines that caused them to drift away and neglect God. They did away with anything and anyone that stood in the way. Then they celebrated the Passover as a nation.
In Revelation 2:4-5 Jesus says, “But I have this complaint against you. You don’t love me or each other as you did at first! Look how far you have fallen! Turn back to me and do the works you did at first. If you don’t repent, I will come and remove your lampstand from its place among the churches.” How far have you drifted from where you once were? What things have caused you to neglect your relationship with God? God is calling us to return from the drift. He’s calling us back to doing the daily disciplines we once were so focused on. Like King Josiah, we need to take a look at where we are versus where we should be. We must choose to make the decision to return to our first love, to return to the things that were not optional or occasional before. Revival in our life starts with a return to God’s Word. It is the cure for the slow fade of neglect.
Photo by Priscilla Du Preez 🇨🇦 on Unsplash
Devotions by Chris Hendrix 