Daily Devotion 10/24/18
Acts 4:34-37 there were no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who owned land or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales 35 and put it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to anyone who had need.
36 Joseph, a Levite from Cyprus, whom the apostles called Barnabas(which means “son of encouragement”), 37 sold a field he owned and brought the money and put it at the apostles’ feet.
One aspect of family life is sacrifice. For parents or grandparents, how many cartoons have you watched that you didn’t really care for, but you did it for the sake of your child? That’s sacrifice. And you’re willing to sacrifice for family. If we are going to call ourselves the family of believers, which is what the Bible calls us, we have to be willing to sacrifice as well. We need to be willing to sacrifice our wants, our desires, our comfort, our time, our resources, our emotional energy, and anything else that is needed for others. This sacrifice is NOT CONDITIONAL. We don’t sacrifice only if they are willing to sacrifice as well. We are willing to sacrifice because that is what family does. We willingly sacrifice for others because God has so willingly sacrificed for us. He sacrificed everything in order that our sins are forgiven, death is conquered, and heaven is ours. That’s our motivation to be willing to sacrifice for our church family. We want them to know this, be supported in this, just like we get encouraged and supported in it as well.
Jesus, thank you for sacrificing everything, even your own life, in order to support me like a family member. You saw my needs and you sacrificed yourself to meet those needs. Please help me to sacrifice to support the family of believers. Amen.