Devotion #2: See A Need, Care For A Need

“And all who believed were together and had all things in common. And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need.” Acts 2:44-45 

One of my favorite parts of being a Children’s Director is having a front-row seat to witness the Church in action. As a leader within the Church, I have the opportunity to serve alongside many individuals who undertake many different tasks for the sake of the Gospel and to the glory of God! 

It brings me great joy when those I am serving alongside bring a need to my attention. They identify something requiring special attention, repair, or extra care, and are seeking assistance in addressing it. Recently, this occurred within our nursery ministry. A volunteer approached my wife and me regarding the need to update toys, furniture, and bouncers in our infant rooms. Not only was the need brought to our attention, but volunteers, as they found out about the need, offered to donate supplies. Over several days, I observed volunteers rallying around the nursery’s needs and, by the grace of God, transformed the nursery into a space that will better serve our babies. 

I was deeply blessed and encouraged that a few volunteers recognized a need and stepped up to address it. In today’s passage, Acts 2:44-45, we see a similar dynamic. Pentecost, the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, had just occurred, and those who declared Jesus as their Lord were uniting together to form the early church. 

To help the church as it began to grow, and to care for the needs of all those who started to follow Jesus, the believers chose to have unity in “selling their possessions” to meet the needs of those among them. Just as the early Church banded together to care for one another, we, as believers in Jesus, are called to do the same. We are to recognize a need and seek to address it for the sake of the Gospel and to glorify God. 

Today, spend time in prayer, asking God to reveal the needs of fellow believers. Then, ask the Lord for wisdom on how to best address those needs.