Devotion #3: Accompanying Others

“So one of the men who have accompanied us during all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, beginning from the baptism of John until the day when he was taken up from us - one of these men must become with us a witness to his resurrection.” Acts 1:21-22 

Those who have been with us from the beginning of our journey sometimes have the best perspective on our lives. They know you. They have seen you walk through seasons of life and know the person you are. It is vital to have people like this in your life. We want those who will know when we are acting like ourselves or if we are acting out of character. 

This week in our Reach, Gather, Grow series, we are focusing on Grow. When we first come to Christ, we accept His payment for our sins through His death, and believe that He rose from the dead, conquering sin and death. In that sense, we become a “witness to his resurrection.” As we discussed in our Reach week, we are called to go out and share what we have witnessed with the world. However, I want to think more about this. Acts 1:21 says, “So one of the men who have accompanied us during all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us.” 

Who are those people who have accompanied you from the beginning of your journey? Have you accompanied anyone from the beginning of their journey? 

If you are new in your walk with Christ, it is important that you have someone who has been walking with Christ for a long time and is present in your life, who is able to pour into you. In other words, you should have a mentor. 

If you have been walking with Christ for some time, who is someone new in their faith that you could come alongside? These relationships are vital in our growth. When I was a new believer, I thanked my mentor constantly for how much he helped me grow. However, he would always tell me that I also helped him grow as I asked challenging questions that made him consider how to apply his faith in different ways. It is beneficial for both parties. 

The apostles knew it was vital to have mature believers leading the people, which is why they wanted to appoint another mature believer to take Judas’ place. Our faith walk is no different. We need mature believers around us pouring into us. If you have had this in the past, you know how important this is. If you have not had this type of relationship before, I cannot express to you how beneficial it is. 

I want to encourage you today to reach out to someone who could use your help, or someone whose help you could use. I know it can be scary and maybe a bit awkward at the start (it was for me!). Regardless, build those connections, strengthen the body of Christ. We need to grow, but we cannot grow alone.