Open Hands, Open Hearts

Acts 4:32-37

Today's passage is a truly beautiful one. It paints a picture--a picture of what the body of Christ is meant to look like. I imagine that the early church was so on fire for Jesus that they just could not contain their generosity, their care for each other, their desire to serve God and spread his love to everyone they encountered.

That fire has died a little, I think, in the isolation and busyness of today's society. The fire ebbs and flows, yes. Sometimes we get a great surge of energy and willpower and we drop everything to help those around us in the name of Jesus. But in those days, all the believers of the church were one in heart and mind, united in their desires, in their motivations, in their thoughts, and in their actions. That is much harder to find these days. And what's more, they shared everything they had. Imagine a church that looks like that today. A church where the surrounding community no longer has any needs--no one living in poverty, no one alone or helpless, no one without community--because the church has risen up and met every single need of those around them out of their generosity and willingness to lay down their lives for others.

This is the kind of church that I pray for. We say that part of what it means to be a disciple of Jesus is to have open hands. Our hands are open not only to those around us, but also to God and the work that he has for us to do. Pray with me today and ask God what that work is in your life. Whose needs can you help meet today, or this week, or this year? Who can you bring alongside you into community? Who needs your generosity--whether it be money or time and energy or even your loving friendship?

Our lives get so busy, so bogged down with everything we feel is necessary to do in order to live life. And sometimes, being open-handed can be on that list. Pray today and ask God to show you how to live open-handedly without it being a burden but a blessing. Because the early church thrived on being there for each other, and that's how they showed Jesus' love. That is the picture of Christian community that God paints for us. So how can you step deeper into that community by opening your hands to God and those around you?