Losing Your First Love

Losing Your First Love

When you were young and head over heels in love, for the very first time, you probably experienced a conundrum of emotions that simply transformed your life from the way it had been beforehand. 

Many songs have been written about young love. Can you remember your “First Love?” I sure can! I was absolutely consumed by the totality of that very “first love!” 

I couldn’t even eat or concentrate on things I should have been doing. It seems that every conscious moment was swept up in thoughts of that all consuming love.

You’ve probably heard the worn out phrase: “it was love at first sight.” A “First Love” at “First Sight” sounds ridiculous now, but when you are young; ones eyes can lead one into believing that love just naturally comes along simply by ones physical attraction!

Well, of course that isn’t exactly how the love bug works. And when you discover that your “First feelings of Love” aren’t reciprocated, it can be very heartbreaking!

It can cause anyone to experience all sorts of emotions; from depression to bitterness, or from low self esteem to revenge. 

Moreover, losing one’s first love can cause one to turn to outright hate, even so far as to hate everything that you previously thought you had loved!

The truth of the matter is simply this: There is a real battle going on inside every human being! It is a struggle between “loving ones own self” versus “loving others more than loving yourself!”

This epic battle is best pictured in the life of Jesus Christ. The Bible says that God is love and that his love was demonstrated towards us even though we were not attractive at all!

I John 4:10 Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.

I John 4:19 We love him, because he first loved us.

You see, God loved me and you, even when we were so “unlovely” for him to look upon! As a consequence of that “inexplicable love,” God arranged a “test case” to prove his Love for us and to avail to each of us the option of choosing his love or rejecting it.

Now then, reflecting back to our first feelings of love; and having it rejected; can you begin to imagine how heartbreaking it must be to God when people abandon him or reject his love?

I can remember old love songs that relayed the sad events of a lover giving up his own life to save the one he loved from harm. One old song entitled: “Teen Angel” told the tale of a car stalled upon a railroad track. The driver got out, but his dear sweetheart went running back into the car to get a ring that her true lover had given her. 

The driver ran to rescue his sweetheart, but it was too late. She could not be saved! The young man lost his “First Love.” How sad!

On a much higher plane, on a more Spiritual level; God sent a “Rescuer” into our world to extract us from the danger that lies before us. 

I John 4:9 In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.

This “manifestation” of “Gods Love” is better described in the Bible as the “Greatest Love” that can ever be demonstrated to man; and particularly so since we are all like a stalled car sitting precariously upon a railroad track.  

(John 15:13) Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.

Now, if after having received the love of one so very loving, how could anyone abandon or betray the debt of love of a love like that? 

Nevertheless, it is human nature in this old world to court other potential lovers! It takes an Abiding Love to remain true and loyal to a True Love! 

Any such diversions away from ones true love can only cause harm to the relationship. Such is the case with every Christian. Even though we know the Love of God, we still have a tempter, trying constantly to seduce us into leaving our First Love!

In his evaluation of the church at Ephesus, Jesus critiqued his servants there for having “Left their First Love.” This is a sad review! 

Revelation 2:4 Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love.

How could they “Leave the Love of the One who First Loved them?” It’s reprehensible! How awful it must be to realize that God, who First Loved us, might have “somewhat” against us! We should always remember the graciousness of him First Loving us!

I hearken back to the stalled car upon the railroad track. Imagine if the young man had actually saved the young girl from the fierce impact of the oncoming train, and then after saving his True Love” life; she abandoned him and went running to another! 

He would be Heartbroken, would he not? Yes, nothing hurts worse than a Lost First Love! 

There is an old saying: “it is better to have loved and lost, than to have never loved at all.” The Lords heart breaks over those he loves, but refuses his love. 

Truer words were never spoken! Although it hurts to love and lose; just the very nature of love begats love. Imagine if God had never “Loved us First!” We could never ever have known his Love! Don’t lose the Love of the one who First Loved You! And you can show his love by loving others.

Focus on the Bible

February 6, 2022

by: Darrell G. Young