Saturday 31 May 2014

May 31: Acts 4:32-35

Key Verse: Acts 4:34
Nor was there anyone among them who lacked; for all who were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the proceeds of the things that were sold

Devotion:
When I look at some of the communities and societies around the world who act more as families than as villages or towns I marvel at how much they do for each other; and it is not just the Christian groups that do this! In fact there are many Christian congregations that are just as spiteful as the rest of the world and just as tied up in their own ways as the people who do not follow Christ. So what makes these people different? What makes them stand out for me?

For me it is the way that they act like the people of the early church acted; they willingly shared what they had with the other people of the church and to those around them that needed love and support. If we are not doing the same then we are living in the ways of the world and not in the way that Christ has shown us we ought to live. The apostles would not have encouraged this way of living if they did not fully trust in it and believe this is how Christ wanted them to live. If it is good enough for them then it must be good enough for the rest of us to follow too!

Giving does not just mean our physical and financial things. We are not all the same and we certainly do not all spend the same amount in the local shops! If we all tried to live on the same amount of money we would very quickly find many people are over-joyed and many are distraught they cannot spend money like they used to. We are different, accept that, live with it, but still share in what you have spiritually, emotionally and physically. Love people for who they are and not what you think they should be like. Don’t pull people down to your level because you think they are living above your means.

Building a better church should start with sharing love and community. If we cannot live together as a community then we are not going to get on very well in a church where we have to be together! Don’t make it a struggle to get on in church, make it a joy to live in church because your will be more encouraged to be there more often!

Points to Ponder:
Do you attend church?

Or do you want to be there?