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There’s something exciting about the new—new possessions, new experiences, new relationships, and even new churches—and it’s very easy to get swept up in to the euphoria of that newness. It’s wonderful to see someone enjoying a new relationship, a new season of life, or being drawn in to a new church experience where the music stirs them, the messages speak to their soul, and the people warmly embrace them.

Unfortunately, sometimes the magic fades. Relationships lose their spark, shiny new paint jobs fade, and hope-filled expectations lose some of their giddy excitement.

I hate that! I don’t want to be doomed to either losing the magic, or having to make a life change every few years to recapture it. There has to be a way to sustain the magic for the long haul.

I love it when people are new to Grace Church and find themselves drawn in by the music and our wonderful people, but it’s even more inspiring to see them two years later when the magic has faded a bit, and they’re still contributing, engaging, and anchoring their lives firmly to the Word of God.

I think those people are on to something. I think they realize that we control the magic by how we spend our lives. Anyone can respond to an initial attraction, but mature men and women realize that the rewards of cultivating a deep, abiding love far outweigh the emotions of exciting, but untested, love.

Let’s faithfully invest in Jesus, our key relationships, and our callings, and then enjoy the magic for a lifetime.