While we, for our part, will devote ourselves to prayer and serving the word. Acts 6:4
In living out our days, I feel sure that most of us can truly identify with this, the sixth chapter of the book of Acts. Let’s think about it. As we attempt to keep our church healthfully growing in this day of strong opinions and great differences, which do we favor? Serving those who come to us spiritually or those with a physical need? According to the need of the people, we can either direct them to one block south or invite them inside our church! Are we giving in to the world’s demands for physical needs more than offering our prayers to God for their spiritual needs? Do the members of our church want to open ourselves up to sailing the seas for the year 2016 with calmness and peace? Or do we want to share our resources in order to find the means to reach out; assisting the many people who have no means to sustain their life, either physical or spiritual?
We can easily list all the things we do as the Body of Christ existing and serving all people in this day and age. We can begin by stating what we are doing, and how much more we can do, with providing food and comfort to those who are apparently living not in a house/home but more on the street. For their comfort and well-being, guide us Lord to accept the service of assisting these people who are facing many of the storms of life with no apparent means of surviving. We, as followers of Christ, understand that there are no simple answers to their search of need. Such as the major question; where are they going to find the food and drink needed in order to remain alive? Thank you Lord that our giving is providing what is needed, with no luxury tax.
The apostles of the early church struggled with similar difficulties. As Luke wrote in his day, some of the people were already complaining that we can’t do both well, serve and teach. Not all of their folk in need were receiving their daily distribution of food. Sometimes we here at First Presbyterian have faced similar problems when we have more people coming than we have people doing. The disciples declared it just isn’t’ right that we should wait on the tables when this would take us away from the learning and teaching of God’s Word. Because we are a church and not a restaurant we need to put first things first, and as a church our primary purpose ought to be bringing the lost into Christ’s church and teaching God’s Word. Strangely, as we fulfill God’s call to be his disciples and come to learn of Him, we will then reach out to the physical and spiritual needy. It will then be that as we live serving, that God’s Loving Spirit will serve us as well.
Our heavenly Father, bless us as Your people to always open our hearts to the needs of those who do not live according to Your Holy Will. Use us, O Lord, to reach out with heart and hand those who are desperately in need. Through Christ our Lord we pray, Amen.