"Do the first works"

"'So remember where you were before you fell. Change your hearts and do what you did at first…'" (Revelation 2:5, ERV).  

Do you remember the day you gave your life—and with it your future and your dreams—to Jesus? I remember that day in my life very well. It was during an event with Billy Graham, and I was only ten years old. When he gave an altar call, asking those who wanted to give their lives to Jesus to come up to the stage, my answer was firm: "Yes, I do."

With that "yes," big dreams came alive in me! I wanted others to experience the same joy I'd experienced. In the coming years, I organized all kinds of events: church services, concerts…whatever was possible for me. Honestly, friend, the events weren't always successful. I didn't always encounter open doors, but my heart burned to keep trying because I knew why I was doing it!

I once organized a concert in a concert hall designed for 800 people. But only 40 people came. That was such a disappointment, not the least because I was stuck with all the costs. Yes, it was extremely hard, and yes, I cried all night. But do you know what? I found out that one girl that evening made the important decision to not take her life! Yes, praise God, she is still alive today!

friend, what fuels your persistence and motivates you to take action? Or, conversely, where did you lose your commitment because of disappointment or pain? Maybe perseverance just doesn't make sense to you today, but there's a blessing in again choosing to walk in the dedication you had at the start.

I'd like to remind you that it's a choice to continue what you did in the beginning, when you were first in love with Jesus as a brand new believer. Yes, it's not a feeling…it's a choice.

And it's a call from God—today, right in the midst of your everyday life. "'So remember where you were before you fell. Change your hearts and do what you did at first…'" (Revelation 2:5, ERV). 

friend, you will never regret this decision! :-)

You are a miracle!