When we are children we have a sense of awe and wonderment. A colorful flower, a vibrant sunset, a twinkling firefly, a crescent moon – all fill the young eye with sparkle and delight. I marvel when I see my three year old granddaughter Sophia gather rocks of all shapes and sizes that to me appear to be nothing more than ugly hunks of gray hues. In her eyes each one possesses some hidden form of fascination. Where we ever that young? Where we once amazed with the wide world that surrounded us?
Yes, we were. What happened to change this? Did the world change or did we? Sometimes as we age, our world can seem smaller. Those vibrant, twinkling colors are still there, but we become so used to seeing them that in our eyes they look dull and gray.
This can be analogous to the Christian journey. When we first discover Christ we are filled with awe and wonderment. How can it be that one would care for us so much that he would give his life for us, offer us salvation, extend us grace, and give us victory over death through his resurrection? All this Christ did while we were yet sinners. We are amazed at such sacrifice, such benevolence – yeah verily, such love!
After a while, we can grow accustomed to this. We can drift hither and yon. Instead of praising God for our blessings, we might blame him for our trials. God has not changed. Christ is still the one who extends his mercy, but sometimes we change. We stop building a relationship with God through prayer, meditation, Bible study, and communing with like believers. Our senses become dulled. We lose that awe and wonderment we experienced when we first realized God’s love for us.
Perhaps that’s what happened to the church at Ephesus. (Revelation 2:1-5) They started out strong with an infectious love of God. Yet something must have happened along their Christian journey to dull their senses. Maybe this happened slowly over time. Perhaps they gradually stopped praying, thinking about God, and studying the scriptures. Or perhaps it all became just a ritualistic routine without much meaning – just going through the motions. Whatever the cause, the Bible says they lost the love they first had for God and were encouraged to find it again.
Losing this awe and wonder of God and his creation can affect our lives. For when we view God and his creation through dulled senses, we will not see the glory that surrounds us. The world becomes a dreary place. I often ask God to help me remember how I felt when I first knew him and to help me know him more. I think the more we know God, the more we will stand in awe and wonder of it all!
