(The following is the May 7 devotional from my Next Step Devotions book. Before reading it, I suggest you read Acts 2 and pay close attention to verses 42-47.)
How do you spend your time on a typical day? For many, it combines work, family responsibilities, rest, play, eating, and hobbies. Add time on social media, with friends, reading, entertainment, sports, fitness, and more. What portion of the day is devoted to actively seeking Christ and serving him? Do we leave time for his Word, prayer, fellowshipping with other Christians, reaching out to unbelievers, and serving through a local church? We have so many options daily that we must choose what to do and omit. There aren’t enough hours to do everything we might like. This choice raises two questions: “What does how we invest our time reveal about our priorities?” and “What can we learn from the early church and its priorities?”
Regarding the second question, the early church “devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread, and to prayer” (v. 42). There were other unlisted everyday activities that anyone, Christian or not, needed to do just as we do. Still, these four significant activities stood out as priorities for the early church:
- Learning God’s truth through sound, scriptural teaching;
- Engaging with one another as a beloved community, caring for and voluntarily helping one another as needed;
- Remembering our Lord’s sacrifice by celebrating the Lord’s Supper together as he commanded;
- Devoting time to prayer.
How does your daily schedule compare with the above list? Of course, we must earn an income, eat, sleep, groom, maintain a home, etc., through efforts not listed. But do we leave time regularly to be a church like the one God richly blessed following Pentecost?
Next Step:
How many hours have you given recently to activities similar to the early church? Is there an area where you fall short? How can you adjust your schedule and priorities to serve Christ more faithfully?
