We’re Family
All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing in meals (including the Lord's Supper), and to prayer. A deep sense of awe came over them all, and the apostles performed many miraculous signs and wonders. And all the believers met together in one place and shared everything they had. They sold their property and possessions and shared the money with those in need. They worshiped together at the Temple each day, met in homes for the Lord's Supper, and shared their meals with great joy and generosity— all the while praising God and enjoying the goodwill of all the people. And each day the Lord added to their fellowship those who were being saved. Acts 2:42-47
Insight
In the book of Acts, we get a snapshot of the beautiful community found within the early church. This community of believers lived as a family ought to: they ate together, had deep conversations, and shared their possessions. They held nothing back—they willingly and generously gave their time and resources with the love of Christ in their hearts.
This isn't to say the early church was perfect. Like the church today, early followers of Jesus made a lot of missteps (just read one of Paul's letters if you want to see how broken the church was from day one). Still, we can learn a lot from what the early church did well. When people look at our church community, they should see a body of believers that behave as a family.
Step one for acting as a family: eat together! Slowing down and sharing meals is a lost art. We often take a "working lunch" or eat-as-we-commute. Rather than using mealtimes as opportunities for rest and connection, we often make our meals a private and rushed affair. During His earthly ministry, Jesus took the time to eat meals with His children (see Matthew 9:9-17, Luke 7:36-50, and John 12:1-11 for just a few examples). Jesus saw the value of sharing food and fellowship with the people He loved. What would it look like if we saw each meal as an opportunity to listen to and strive to understand His children?
Step two: share! If you grew up with siblings, you know that one of the supreme rules in a family is to share. When we share our possessions, time, and money with others, we communicate to them that they are more valuable than our worldly assets. In the eyes of God, the people around us are worth so much more than any wages we earn or property we possess. As followers of Christ, we often receive little nudges from the Holy Spirit to give of ourselves. As selfish human beings, we often ignore these impulses. We make countless excuses:
If I give this away, I won't have enough for myself. I am entitled to my money/possessions because I earned them fair and square through my hard work. So why would I share these things with them? They aren't kind or generous toward me.
The reality is this: none of what we have is truly ours. Everything we possess (including our time) is a gift from God. We are not entitled to anything. Our belongings will not follow us to the next life (Matthew 6:19-21), but the souls of our fellow believers will. Our possessions are worth more when used to demonstrate God's love to others.
One more thing: families have fun together! The early church worshiped with one another. They celebrated each other's victories. They enjoyed the spoils of the life God had created them to share. Today and every day, let's strive to treat God's children like family because they are family! Let's look for opportunities to eat together, be generous toward one another, and have a good time together. Though we are challenging to love, God loves us with His whole heart. God has not held anything back from us, so why would we hold anything back from our brothers and sisters in Christ?
Reflection
Who can you share a meal with this week?
Who is God calling you to share your time, money, or possessions with and be generous? How can you take a step toward obeying that call?
Prayer
Abba, thank you for placing me in a community of believers that I get to call my family. Help me value each of them over myself and my worldly possessions. Humble me before them. Please show me how to give myself away. Help me resist the urge to hold onto what I feel entitled to and deserve. Give me the strength to share, even with those I find difficult to love. Amen.
Port City writer Kate Redenbaugh wrote today's devotional.