GREAT GRACE WAS UPON THEM
As I read Acts 4-5, I wondered as I eyed the phrase "and great grace was upon them all", what would that look like? The passage does give some hints: of those who believed were of one heart and soul and even as they looked at their belongings, they claimed nothing as their own but had everything in common. What an attitude! Out of that attitude, they were willing to give and then needs were met when distributed among the people. Tragically, our culture encourages us to look at our belongings, hold them closely to ourselves in closets, storage even air-conditioned sheds, bank vaults, etc and seek to get more and more!
If that same attitude of being of "one heart and one soul" (kardia: the seat and center of human life) as a Christ follower was practiced first by myself, would that be infectious enough to draw hearts to be willing to hear about the Lord Jesus and give validity about what I am sharing? To be of one heart and one soul suggests that I not be double-minded and that I am willing to live out the TRUTH in my inward being knowing that the Lord delights in that attitude. The phrase also suggests unanimity of my heart and my soul (mind, will, and emotions). When I am willing to be unified in heart and soul, I am willing to look beyond myself and see needs and I am receptive to ask, how can I be a part of meeting needs to your glory, LORD?
Lord, I desire that my heart and my soul be in unity with your mindset and that I be willing to be of that spirit to meet needs of those to whom You bring in my traffic pattern today.
If that same attitude of being of "one heart and one soul" (kardia: the seat and center of human life) as a Christ follower was practiced first by myself, would that be infectious enough to draw hearts to be willing to hear about the Lord Jesus and give validity about what I am sharing? To be of one heart and one soul suggests that I not be double-minded and that I am willing to live out the TRUTH in my inward being knowing that the Lord delights in that attitude. The phrase also suggests unanimity of my heart and my soul (mind, will, and emotions). When I am willing to be unified in heart and soul, I am willing to look beyond myself and see needs and I am receptive to ask, how can I be a part of meeting needs to your glory, LORD?
Lord, I desire that my heart and my soul be in unity with your mindset and that I be willing to be of that spirit to meet needs of those to whom You bring in my traffic pattern today.
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