together.

“And all those who had believed were together and had all things in common;” Acts 2:44

Together. That's how God intended it to be from the very beginning. When He took dust from the ground and made the first man, both Adam and Himself were aware that something was missing. God breathed His very own breath into him, but there was still a longing in the heart of man for something more. God created us with a deep void that can only be filled by others. We were made for community. Our Father Himself said that, “it is not good for man to be alone” (Genesis 2:18).

However, the togetherness that God envisioned for His Church often seems unattainable. Divorce rates among Christians are higher than ever, denominational divisions cause constant conflicts, and gossip, slander, and lies reach our ears on a daily basis.

How is it that these 3,000 believers could have a oneness that seems so impossible among us today? I believe a large part of the answer is found in the remainder of the verse: “...and [they] had all things in common”. ALL things. Nothing was held back. Selfishness did not reign among these new believers.

Imagine if that was the case today! Is not selfishness and pride the source of almost all disunity in the modern Church? I know that's the case in my own life.

However, when I give and serve others in humility, I see the hand of God move most powerfully. I need to constantly humble myself and let go of my own selfish strivings, so that I can love others as Jesus would.

When this attitude is present in my own heart, I am drawn closer to the unity that Christ envisioned and the early Church understood.

Philippians 2:3

“Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves.”

July 20, 2011