Acts Resolution

“All the believers were together and had everything in common.  Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need.  Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts.  They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people.  And the Lord added to their number daily…” Acts 2:42-47.

This snapshot of early believers following the resurrection shows the health and vitality of Christianity at its best.  Christianity was never meant to be experienced one day out of our week.  The early church was experienced through daily fellowship, prayer and sacrificial giving instead of going to a building once a week.  Our passage states that every day they met together in the temple courts.  Their interaction with other Christians was cross-cutting in every aspect of their lives.  The early believers did not toss a few bucks in a bucket when they saw someone hungry …they went out and sold something they owned for the needy.  They did not avoid eye contact with the one who came from a different economic status, rather they invited people into their homes out of gratitude and devotion to a God who does not discriminate.  And they were blessed daily…

If we all lived our daily lives patterned after the early church many others would be cared for.  Our temple courts are our sphere of influence and our goods and possessions are our gifts and talents.  If we really saw God through the eyes of the early church it wouldn’t hurt to give one-tenth of our money or lots of our time during the week.  The early church lived out the attitude of Acts 4:32.  ‘All the believers were one in heart and mind.  No one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they shared everything they had.’

With the month of December in full swing, it is sad to realize that more will be spent on Christmas gifts for friends and family than on tithe and donations.  More will be spent on adding to possessions than giving possessions away.

Let us commit to recommit in 2013 to return to an Acts attitude of living out our faith.