"It's the Kids!" (Revelation 2:4)

During my third year of medical school, I had my clinical rotations in pediatrics. For two months, I was exposed to numerous cold and flu viruses afflicting dozens of sick children. And like generations of medical students before and after me, I got sick, several times.

One blessing from this experience was the buildup of my immune system. For many years, I was far less susceptible to catching colds or contracting the flu because my immune system had been rigorously strengthened by constant exposure.

However, that all changed when I met my wife. She is a pediatric dentist and is exposed to countless sick kids coughing and breathing on her. Although she rarely gets sick, she is carrying many of these viruses and bacteria and they inevitably find their way to me. During the first few months of our relationship, I felt like my pediatrics rotation all over again. I was repeatedly sick as I was exposed to a new round of pediatric germs. With resignation and reluctance I proclaimed, “It’s the kids!”

Sometimes, tracing the source of illness is easy. In other occasions, experts like public health epidemiologists, are needed to trace the source of the infection. In every case, it requires a careful and honest retracing of steps to identify the sources.

In my spiritual walk with God, a similar degree of honesty and sleuthing is sometimes needed for me to identify to source of my sins. My life has wildly swung from periods of intense activity and devotion to God to coldness and indifference. The reasons are many but at the heart of many of these periods was the choice I made to substitute other activities, people, or possessions for the love of Jesus Christ.

Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love.

Revelation 2:4 (NKJV)

Like the Ephesian church that Jesus addressed in this passage from Revelation, I left my first love-the love of my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. I left His love, He did not leave me. Thanks be to God that He is always faithful to me and welcomes me back with His endless and perfect love, even when I am so selfish to take it for granted and even reject it.

Like tracing the source of my illnesses during medical school and dating my wife, tracing the source of my backsliding ways is not difficult when I am honest with myself.

I need a Savior. I need Jesus Christ. He is my first love.

Amen!

Love and trust the Lord; seek His will in your life.