It was just like every other day of work. I was walking in at 6 a.m. to organise my truck for the morning route. As I climbed in the back of my delivery truck and began to shift the boxes into their places, my boss popped his head in and said, “Chance, can I see you for a minute?” This was not the normal “Howdy!” that I usually received. I instantly started to wonder what this was about. I had been hired as a temporary driver during the previous year's holiday season. Now I was just completing my first year on my delivery route.
As I stepped off the truck I knew something was wrong. My boss was visibly upset. “Chance, you’re one of the best drivers I have, but…” My heart instantly dropped; I know how these conversations go. My mind instantly started to race. My son had just turned one year old and I was the only source of income for my family. I heard next, “Listen, you do a great job and I don't want to do this...” What did I do wrong? How could this be happening? I arrive before anyone, I work my route and complete other routes when needed, and I don't even stop my route for lunch. The conversation finished with my boss saying, “That speeding ticket you got last week marks the third speeding ticket and that means I have to let you go.”
Every believer has a Christian walk that they strive to align with the inspired word of God. Many times we fall into the trap of working hard for the word and lose sight of what's important.
In Revelation 2, we see Jesus speaking to the church of Ephesus. “I know all the things you do. I have seen your hard work and your patient endurance. I know you don't tolerate evil people… You have patiently suffered for me without quitting.” (Rev 2:2-3)
Jesus is sharing that He has seen all the good works and the endurance the church of Ephesus has shown, but sadly that's not where the passage ends. “But I have this [charge] against you, that you have left your first love [you have lost the depth of love that you first had for Me].”
This life is full of distractions and full of opportunities to allow our time with the Lord to wane. We can work so hard for the Lord that we neglect to spend time with Him. In the book of Philippians, Paul is encouraging the believers to not put their confidence in human efforts (Phil. 3:3). He mentions that if someone could have confidence in the works, then he (Paul) could even more so. Paul goes on to share his qualifications for being a good front pew sitter. I can see all the Pharisees nodding their heads, thinking, “Yeah, I’m with you Paul, me and you, we got this.” I’m sure it shocked everyone when he said this in verse 7: “I once thought these things were valuable, but now I consider them worthless because of what Christ has done.” (Phil 3:7)
Paul says if anyone could boast in the works of the flesh, then he could do it even more. However, he says this amounts to nothing and he counts it worthless because of what Christ has done for you and me. He continues to say that he doesn't count on his own works any more, but that He wants to know Him. Paul says he wants to experience Him more. Paul, the man who helped share the gospel with the known world, raised church leaders and wrote three-quarters of the New Testament is saying that he counts it all as worthless so that he may know Christ more.
I want to challenge you that we shouldn't lose sight of our first love. Let’s not let the business of life distract us for the very reason of life itself. Let’s allow our hearts to be fixed on knowing Him more.
