Now the full number of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and no one said that any of the things that belonged to him was his own, but they had everything in common. And with great power the apostles were giving their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all. There was not a needy person among them, for as many as were owners of lands or houses sold them and brought the proceeds of what was sold and laid it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to each as any had need.
Acts 4:32-35 ESV
This first description of the daily life of the post-Pentecost church is a bit of a challenge for us moderns. We especially like the part about the great power. Miracles and powerful preaching are great to watch! Most of us are on board with helping those in need. What we often overlook is the two character traits that formed the twin fountains from which these wonderful things flowed.
- Unity. These early believers saw themselves as part of something bigger than themselves, something that was more important than they were as individuals. If they were of one heart, it means they had a common goal or purpose. If they were of one soul, it suggests they had a common foundation of belief. Their opinions were shaped by their beliefs. They managed to keep their disagreements from becoming conflicts.
- Generosity. They had a new way of thinking about their possessions. They believed it all came from God and were happy to let Him decide how to distribute it. That’s a pretty revolutionary idea.
Both of these things are considered quite strange in our culture. We cling doggedly to our individual identities, opinions, and ambitions. I heard a guy on the news talking about “living my truth.” Friends, we don’t get our own truth. We live to serve the One who is “the Truth.” When was the last time you heard a good message on, “submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ” (Ephesians 5:21)? That’s the only way we can get to one heart and one soul.
When we talk about giving in church, it tends to make people uneasy or even annoyed. We all want to be generous, but we have different ideas about what that means. The reality is that most Christians don’t even give a tithe. There are even some pretty heated debates about whether a Christian should tithe, with some people saying that giving ten percent is really over the top. The fact that we’re even having this conversation shows that we still have a long way to go in recognizing that our possessions are at the Lord’s disposal. The tithe isn’t a destination where we can rest on our laurels. It’s the first step on the road to genuine generosity and prosperity.
It’s Sunday. Let’s head to the gathering of the saints with a new goal: to get our hearts and minds in sync and let God take the wheel when it comes to our “stuff.” Go with the intention to listen, show love, and offer encouragement. Before you leave the house, pray and ask the Lord what He would have you to give today, both in the offering for the church and in helping other believers in need. Power and provision follows unity and generosity.
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