I wish every church could look like this community of believers. I have thought over the years we should just go back to the basics, to the beginning. There is so much we can learn from these believers. Let’s take a deeper look.
First of all, they were devoted to learning, to spending time together, and to prayer. Even if they had heard the story a million times, they were still in awe over what they had witnessed and heard. They didn’t let their lives get in the way.
Their spirit was generous and giving. We hear that they shared everything they had. It seems there was no materialism, jealousy, greed because they sold possessions to have money to give to those in need. How often do we sell things so we have money for those in need? I know when we were getting ready to leave the country, we gave a lot of “stuff” away, and that felt so rewarding.
One of my favorites here is they worshiped together everyday. There are two key themes, “together” and “every day.” Making God a priority is what we should all strive to do. But, how often do our busy, involved lives get in the way? How do we try to rationalize that? God gave us a life to live. Yes, but he gave us a life to spend worshiping him and building a relationship with him.
I don’t know about you, but I have not made it a common practice of sharing the Lord’s Supper in someone’s home. I do recall several occasions when on a pastoral call with my husband where we shared communion in a nursing home or hospital. This isn’t quite the same thing. Celebrating communion and remembering Jesus’ words to us in a casual, intimate setting sounds a little foreign to us, but I think it sounds beautiful, don’t you?
Praising God should be our number one focus. It’s hard to be gloomy when focused on praising God. He has done marvelous things for us. When we focus on those and not the negative things that the evil one would have for us to dwell on, we can’t help but be happy. Some people seem to thrive on being negative, and that hurts not only the person but those around them. As followers of Christ, we need to be joyful, generous and praising God at all times.
Let’s pray. Father God what a beautiful picture of a healthy community of believers. We should all strive for this kind of relationship with you and with others. Forgive me when I focus on other things that keep me from being worshipful. Forgive me when I fall short of your plans for me. I pray that you’ll refresh me and make me ready to serve you today. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
