first love

Remember. Repent. Repeat.

Those three simple words may not sound very romantic.

But what if they could help when “red-hot love” has become “not tonight, honey”—when passion has gradually been replaced by bills, soccer games, dirty socks, responsibilities, and endless to-do lists?

Maybe you’ve even found yourself thinking:

“I love my spouse. I’m just not in love anymore.”

Most people assume feelings of love simply happen to us. We fall in love. We fall out of love. And if the feelings disappear, we have little control over what happens next.

But is that really true?

What if some of the things we do when we’re “in love” actually help produce those loving feelings?

And what if changing what we think and do could affect those feelings again?

Interestingly, Jesus gave the church at Ephesus three instructions after telling them they had left their first love.

Remember. Repent. And do the things you did before.

What might those instructions teach us about our relationship with Christ—and even our marriages?

And what about those times when circumstances don’t change and other people don’t cooperate? Is there a kind of joy and peace that doesn’t depend on anyone else doing what we want?

There is.

And it begins with learning that while feelings are very real, they make lousy leaders.