When life becomes busy, demanding, and unpredictable, our hearts often shift in quiet ways. We don’t wake up one day and decide to replace God with our dreams, responsibilities, or relationships, it happens gradually. The drift is subtle. Our conversations change, our habits shift, and before we realize it, our hearts feel distant from the One who once felt near.
This is not a message of condemnation. It is a call to return, a divine invitation to reset, to remember our first love.
In the first letter to the seven churches in Revelation 2:3-5 , it reads:
I know you are enduring patiently and bearing up for my name’s sake, and you have not grown weary. But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first. Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent.
Another word for repent is change.
What Is First in Our Hearts and Minds?
Some time ago, a woman stopped by my home to drop something off. What should have been a quick visit turned into a two-hour conversation about God – His goodness, His patience, His perfect timing. Somewhere between the laughter and reflection, she said something that lingered with me:
“I don’t know how some people say they’re believers but never speak about God.”
At first, her comment sounded judgmental, but I understood her point. When we love someone deeply, we naturally talk about them. We talk about our families, our passions, our dreams. So, if God rarely enters our conversations, what does that say about the posture of our hearts?
“Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.” — Luke 6:45 (NKJV)
The question is not only, Do I believe in God?
It is, Is God first in my heart?
This reflection is personal, yet it also applies to families and nations as well. Many families profess faith but rarely create space for God in their daily rhythms. Nations, too, declare “In God We Trust” or similar mottos, yet drift toward systems, policies, and values that contradict His principles.
Proverbs 14:34 reminds us,
“Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people.”
From the home to the halls of power, whatever fills our hearts eventually fills our culture. If God is absent from our conversations, decisions, and structures, idols have quietly taken His place.
What Is an Idol? Modern Golden Calves
When we hear the word idol, we often imagine ancient altars or golden calves, like the one Israel worshiped in Exodus 32. But idolatry didn’t die in the desert. It simply adapted. Today, our idols are not carved from stone, they are built from ambition, fear, and misplaced trust.
An idol is anything or anyone we trust, seek, or prioritize more than God. It’s not always obvious; sometimes it’s hidden behind good intentions.
- Career and Titles: When identity is tied to achievement.
- Money: When our peace rises and falls with the bank balance.
- Family and Relationships: When pleasing people outweighs pleasing God.
- Tradition and Culture: When customs override Scripture.
- Comfort and Control: When we choose safety over obedience.
- Possessions: When our sense of worth depends on what we own.
- Even Ministry: When serving God replaces intimacy with Him.
We often say, “God knows my heart,” but perhaps the deeper question is, Who sits on the throne of my heart today? Idols are often disguised as blessings, gifts that we elevate above God.
When Good Dreams Become Heavy Burdens: My PhD Lesson
For years, earning a PhD was my dream. When I finally got my chance, I worked relentlessly – long nights, weekends, holidays. I pursued excellence, wanting to honor God, my family, and my calling. But somewhere along the way, the dream became a burden.
Instead of joy, I found exhaustion. Instead of fulfillment, frustration and fear. During a season of fasting and prayer, God revealed to me that the PhD had become an idol.
It was a sobering realization. The dream itself wasn’t wrong, but I had made it my source of identity and worth. My value became tied to performance instead of presence. My peace depended on progress rather than my relationship with Him.
Idols may show up subtle, sometimes they look like ambition without surrender. And they always cost something: peace, rest, and intimacy with God.
What have we tied our identity and worth to?
When Good Things Become Distractions
As a mother, I’ve realized that even good things can become distractions. Time with family, community involvement, even ministry can fill every moment of the day, leaving no room for silence, reflection, or intimacy with God.
We can be busy and still barren. Productive, but spiritually stagnant. Moving constantly, yet not progressing in purpose.
Ecclesiastes 3:1 reminds us:
“To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven.”
When we miss God’s appointed seasons, it doesn’t always look catastrophic. Sometimes it just feels like weariness, disconnection, or inner emptiness. But God allows pauses, pruning, and interruptions to realign us.
Are We Neglecting the Gifts God Entrusted to Us?
Sometimes God entrusts us with gifts – children, callings, opportunities – and we handle them well for a time. But if we lose focus, even those blessings can wither.
With my son, Aziel, I learned this firsthand. He has always been a reader, curious and thoughtful. We used to read the Bible together, discuss stories, and reflect on lessons. But as life grew busy, that sacred time faded. He still excelled in school, but something shifted. He became distant, uninterested in reading Scripture.
The lesson was clear: performance is not the same as presence. A child can thrive academically yet be spiritually and emotionally disconnected, because he is gifted in that area.
Every gift, whether a child, ministry, or talent, requires stewardship. When we neglect the spiritual and emotional aspects, we risk losing connection even while maintaining outward success. Jesus’ words in Matthew 16:26 echo loudly here:
“What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul?”
Is God Removing Our Idols or Repositioning Us?
When I completed my doctorate, I thought new doors would open, I thought my career would advance, I would gained recognition, and financial stability. But God posed a question that pierced my heart:
“Do you love me more than these?” — John 21:15
It is often easier to depend on God before success than after it. Blessings can subtly become burdens when they take His place. Israel cried out to God in slavery, yet longed for Egypt after freedom. Likewise, we sometimes prefer the comfort of captivity over the stretching that comes with freedom.
God’s purpose in removing idols isn’t to diminish us, it’s to protect us. Sometimes He strips away what we cling to so we can remember who sustains us.
In these times of uncertainty, could it be that God is calling us to deeper trust in Him and not the things?
Seek First the Kingdom: The Reset of Alignment
Jesus gave us the blueprint for spiritual order:
“Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” — Matthew 6:33
To seek first does not mean neglecting everything else. It means building every pursuit on the foundation of God’s presence. It means surrendering control, trusting His timing, and aligning our goals with His will.
The dreams God gives us flourish only when rooted in Him. Dreams make poor gods but excellent assignments. Let set our priorities straight. When God is first, the rest falls into alignment.
Let’s Examine Our Hearts
As individuals, families, and even nations, we must pause to ask:
- What is truly first in our lives?
- What shapes our daily decisions — fear or faith?
- Have our blessings become burdens?
- Have we replaced relationship with routine?
These are not questions of guilt but of grace. Conviction is not condemnation; it’s an invitation to return.
Returning to Our First Love
God is not calling us to perfection, but to presence. To remember. To return.
When individuals realign their hearts, families heal. When families heal, nations find restoration. Spiritual renewal always begins with repentance — a change of direction that leads back to the heart of God.
Again, we take Revelation 2:4-5 which reminds us of this sacred return:
“Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken the love you had at first. Consider how far you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first.”
Let us lay down our idols, not to lose what we love, but to love rightly. Let us steward God’s gifts with gratitude, not obsession. Let us raise children who know God’s heart, not just His rules. Let us build nations founded on righteousness, not pride.
Our first love is still here.
He waits patiently, arms open, calling us home.
And when we put Him back in His rightful place, in our hearts, homes, and nations, everything else begins to fall into place.
With grace and growth,
Sanchia and team.
Audio Version
Listen to our new podcast Be Still And Grow, Episode 3: Returning To Our First Love.