The story of Michael and Amara – First Love Forgotten: How to Return to What Matters Most
Tuesday, June 17th, 2025
Story:
Once upon a time in the heart of Lagos, Nigeria, two brilliant entrepreneurs—Michael, a tech mogul who built a multi-million naira software empire, and Amara, a fierce businesswoman who turned a struggling fashion brand into a global trendsetter—were the poster children of success.
They had it all.
But they didn’t start that way.
Years ago, both Michael and Amara had launched their ventures not to chase money, but to solve problems, serve people, and glorify God. They had fire in their hearts, prayer in their planning, and passion in their purpose.
Michael remembered the nights he knelt beside his laptop, praying over code and contracts. Amara recalled early mornings she spent fasting, asking God to make her work a ministry to empower women through beauty and dignity.
Their businesses were their pulpits. Their clients were their mission field. Their staff, their community.
But success… changed them.
Slowly, subtly, they traded purpose for pressure, passion for profit, and God’s presence for performance.
They still attended church. Still donated. Still posted inspirational quotes on Instagram.
But deep down, they knew…
They had left their first love.
Michael became obsessed with expansion—spending nights chasing new partnerships but ignoring his family and spiritual life.
Amara filled her schedule with speaking engagements, travel, and brand deals, but hadn’t heard God’s voice in months.
Until it all came crashing down.
Michael lost a major investor overnight. A scandal hit his company, and everything he built teetered on collapse.
Amara was diagnosed with burnout and hospitalized after collapsing backstage before a fashion show in Paris.
Alone in their pain, both found themselves face down—not in defeat, but in surrender.
Michael cried in the quiet of his office, whispering, “God, I miss You… I don’t want to win without You.”
Amara wept on her hospital bed, whispering, “Father, forgive me. I’ve run too far from You.”
That night, in two different cities, both business leaders returned to their knees—and to their first love.
They didn’t lose their ambition. They re-aligned it.
They didn’t quit business. They re-dedicated it.
Michael now mentors young kingdom entrepreneurs. His new motto? “Build with God or don’t build at all.”
Amara now integrates prayer into her team’s workflow and leads a foundation that empowers single mothers through fashion.
*Indept Biblical Reflections*
*First Love Forgotten: How to Return to What Matters Most*
Life has a way of crowding out what matters most. The busyness of work, the demands of family, the distractions of daily living—slowly, quietly, our time with God gets pushed to the margins. Prayer becomes rushed. Scripture reading gets skipped. Worship feels like a chore rather than a joy. Without realizing it, we find ourselves going through the motions of faith while our hearts grow distant from the One we once loved so dearly.
This was the warning Jesus gave to the church in Ephesus: *“I have this against you, that you have left your first love”* (Revelation 2:4). They were doing all the right things—working hard, enduring hardship, standing for truth—but somewhere along the way, their love for Christ had grown cold. The same can happen to us. We become so focused on serving God that we forget to love Him. So busy doing things for Him that we neglect simply being with Him.
But here is the sobering truth: *“What profit is it to gain the whole world and lose your own soul?”* (Mark 8:36). No success, no relationship, no accomplishment will ever satisfy if we lose our connection with Jesus. He is not just part of our lives—He is our life. *“In Him we live and move and have our being”* (Acts 17:28). Without Him, everything else is empty.
The good news? It’s never too late to return. God’s invitation is always open: *“Return to Me, and I will return to you”* (Malachi 3:7). Start small—even one verse a day can reignite your heart. *“Your word is a lamp to my feet”* (Psalm 119:105). Spend five minutes in prayer before checking your phone. Worship in the car instead of scrolling. Fight for your faith like your soul depends on it—because it does.
Don’t let another day go by half-hearted. *“Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you”* (James 4:8).
*Call to Action:*
Friend, maybe you, too, have forgotten your first love. Maybe success, survival, or the hustle has drowned out the still small voice of purpose.
But God is not angry. He’s waiting.
Waiting for you to return—not with guilt, but with grace.
Not to shame you, but to remind you who you are.
This is your moment.
Don’t just run a business. Run with God again.
Don’t just sell a product. Serve a purpose.
It’s time to return to what matters most.
ACTION STEP:
Take 10 minutes today. Turn off your phone. Find a quiet place. Ask:
“Lord, what did You call me to do in the beginning?”
“What part of my business have I taken out of Your hands?”
“How can I return to You in my work?”
Then listen.
Then act.
And begin again—with your First Love.
Shalom!
Ambassador Monday O. OGBE
GOD’S EAGLE MINISTRIES GEMS
https://www.otakada.org
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