And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts.Acts 2:46 (ESV)
Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; give preference to one another in honour.Romans 12:10 (NASB)
What is at the heart of the church that keeps it healthy and built up? It is the same thing that is at the heart of any caring relationship - a love that puts others first. Jesus commanded His disciples to love one another as He had loved them. Romans 12:10 tells us that this involves a choice to honour and give preference to others above ourselves. In the early church, they modelled this by selling possessions in order to take care of their needy members. They did so with glad and generous hearts. Putting the needs of others before their own made them glad not sad.
Heavenly Father, set us free from the fear of scarcity so that we may discover the joy of generosity. Help us to overcome our natural tendency to seek our own well-being first. Help us to seek Your Kingdom first, which includes honouring and giving preference to others. In Jesus' Name, Amen.
Keith Welch
