Read:

Acts 2:42-47

Dig Deeper:

This scripture in Acts paints a beautiful picture of the early church where people were first forming Christian communities. Did you notice some of the characteristics of these communities as you were reading? They were devoted to their pastors and to one another, generous, the Holy Spirit was moving in evident ways, they were consistent in showing up in-person together, they spent time worshiping God, and new people kept showing up to join them. These are all great markers of Christian community, but there is one characteristic that seems to sit underneath all of these markers. This marker may not be the one you expect. It’s not flashy. It’s not fancy. It’s not even that fun. This characteristic is called humility, and it can sometimes be hard for us in the age of next day delivery and social media celebrity. In order for us to have healthy relationships, we have to put others first and Jesus at the center. We can do this with confidence and without conceit because we know Christ and our identity is found in Him. Ever matched with someone on a dating app who only talked about themselves and never asked you anything about yourself? It didn’t take long for you to swipe left, did it? As humans, we tend to avoid selfish people because they are life suckers, not life givers. That’s why we can confidently say that we don’t lose when we act with humility, instead, we gain! Just like they did in Acts 2, when we are humble in our relationships, we get to build a supportive and generous community where there’s always room for more!

Declaration: Say this next statement out loud as a declaration of what you have learned today.

I am humble because I know that putting others first is the best thing to do. Christ did it, so I will do it too. He put me before Himself when He gave his life for me. So, I will put others first too.

Pray:

God, help me to be a more humble person. Clean out all the parts of my heart that are full of pride, and help me to put others before myself. I believe that as I do this, You will help me to build a life-giving community of friends as I become a life-giving person to be around. Thank you for helping me to do this. Amen.