Three years ago you was supernatural. You was hard and you was nasty and you had this cast-iron jaw, but then the worst thing happened to you, that could happen to any fighter. You got civilized.
-Mick
In Rocky 3 (my favorite of the Rocky movies), Rocky Balboa, now the World Champion, has gone from struggling to living a life of wealth and luxury after winning his rematch against Apollo Creed. The movie shows Rocky easily defending his title against inferior opponents, enjoying fame and fortune. Meanwhile, Clubber Lang, played by Mr. T, trains hard and harbors resentment towards Rocky's success.
At a ceremony dedicating a statue of Rocky in Philadelphia, Rocky announces his retirement. This angers Clubber Lang, leading to a heated confrontation where Rocky agrees to one last fight against him. Rocky's manager, Mickey, is furious, knowing Rocky has fought easy opponents and is no longer the fighter he once was. Mickey tells Rocky he can't win against Clubber.
In this scene, we hear Mick's words, "You got civilized.”
Sadly, I believe these words ring true for too many of God's sons. Too many of my men are like Rocky.
They started their walk with God with passion and fire. They wanted Him more than they wanted their next breath. They spent time with Him, learning what He was like and how they could become like Him. Then, the worst thing happened to them that can happen to a Christian…they got civilized. They got complacent. Christianity became going to church and doing things for God, and they lost their passion for being with God.
Rocky became complacent, losing his hunger and passion for boxing. In the end, Clubber Lang defeated him.
Too many of God's men are in the same place spiritually. We haven't walked away from God. We haven't abandoned our faith. But we don't have the same passion and hunger we used to have. We lost our passion.
I am not trying to discourage or condemn anyone. However, just like with Rocky, losing our spiritual passion is a dangerous place to be.
Why do I say that?
Let's look at Revelation 3:2-5 to see what God says about complacent Christians.
"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 examined the claims of those who say they are apostles but are not. You have discovered they are liars. You have patiently suffered for me without quitting.
But I have this complaint against you. You don't love me or each other as you did at first!
Look how far you have fallen! Turn back to me and do the works you did at first. If you don't repent, I will come and remove your lampstand from its place among the churches.” (NLT)
The church in Ephesus had become civilized. It forgot its first love. It lost the joy it had when it first got saved and began following God.
The years of ministry and serving God, mixed with persecution and church issues, had left them serving out of a sense of duty, not love and relationship with God. The passion, the fire, and the joy they had when they first came to God were gone.
Notice God says, "Look how far you have fallen." He didn't view this lack of passion as a good thing or spiritual maturity. He hated it. He hated the loss of fellowship and the closeness that He no longer experienced with the Ephesians church. He longed for them to see they had become weary in well-doing and lost their fire and zeal. It was church activity and business, not service out of love and gratitude. He wanted to change them. He wanted them to long for Him.
Does this ring true in your life? If so, how do you fix it? How do you get back to our First Love? Thankfully, the passage in Revelations gives us the answers.
1. Consider how far you have fallen
Take a moment to remember what your life was like when you first became a Christian. How did you feel? What did you do? How much time did you spend in prayer? Did you have a passion for reading the Bible?
Do you remember the excitement you felt? Do you recall the trust you had in God? Remember how praise welled up inside of you? S
top and think about the weeks and months after you first came to Christ and see if you still feel the same way. Has your love and passion dwindled? Reflecting on this is the first step to returning to your first love.
2. Repent
The passage clearly states that we must repent for losing our first love. We must ask God for forgiveness for becoming so busy doing things for Him that we lose sight of the wonderful opportunity to be with Him. We should ask Him to forgive us for not being as dedicated, passionate, and eager for Him. We need to seek His forgiveness and ask for restoration.
3. Do the things you did at first
The last thing we need to do is return to the way things used to be. We must wholeheartedly pursue God in our lives. We need to restore our passion and ask God to bring back the joy we once had.
God desires for His children to return to the love they had when they first came to Him. He wants our relationship to be as passionate and exciting as it was initially. He waits for us to realize that we have drifted away. He is waiting for us to repent for allowing our hearts to grow cold, and He is waiting with open arms for us to be restored. He wants us to have a close relationship with Him.
Will you return to the passionate man you used to be, or will you remain a civilized, unfulfilled believer?
Bibliography:
1. Rocky III. Directed by Sylvester Stallone , performances by Sylvester Stallone and Talia Shire , MGM/UA Entertainment Co., 1982.
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