Lives Worth Imitating

PASSAGE FOR THE DAY:
42 They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. 43 Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. 44 All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45 They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. 46 Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, 47 praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved. (Acts 2:42-47, NIV)


REFLECTIONS:
Lives worth imitating: 

Teaching

• Devoted themselves to the apostles teaching

Fellowship and being united in purpose

• Ate at each other’s home
• Breaking of bread with each other

Prayer

• Went to the Temple every day
• Devoted themselves to prayer

Shared everything

• Sold their possessions and goods for people in need
• Shared their food with glade and humble hearts

Praising God

• Praising God and enjoying the good will of all the people
• The Lord was adding to their numbers daily of those who were being saved

POINT OF ACTION:
One of the greatest miracles is how the Holy Spirit is able to change the heart of believers so they desire to sell their possessions for people in need, humble their hearts, open their homes, share their food with others, to overlook the imperfections of others without any judgment, etc.  In today’s society, I would think raising someone from the dead would be a much easier miracle to believe than how the Holy Spirit can truly change the hearts of men and women.  

Have we complicated God’s simple design for His church?  Maybe church really looks more like a family at home instead of the great entertainment production we have in some of the mega churches today.  What if church is more about relationships and caring for each other than just going through religious motions?  Have we done the same thing as the Pharisees—creating religious traditions that became more of a burden to the people instead of setting them free and giving them life?  Does our heart break like Jesus for our brothers and sisters who are hurting and are in need?

Do we think God’s design for His church will require too much from us—our time, our resources, our comfort, our security, etc?  Maybe the things of this world we have been seeking and holding on too are an illusion.  In reality, we have nothing without God.  Our time, all of our resources, our security, our comfort, etc., all belong to God.   We can take nothing with us when we die but only the things we gave away on earth for His glory.  Since the time on earth is just a blink of an eye compared to eternity, we should think twice on the things we do on earth.

Are we united as a church family, do we share our meals together like a family, do we share our resources with our brothers and sisters in need, do we devote enough time to teaching and prayer, do we overlook the imperfections of other people so we will be able to know their heart, etc.  Church will be messy because it is made up of imperfect people.  But in a healthy family we overcome the imperfections of each other because of our overriding love for each other.

I was watching a video and the person said we should ask ourselves one question: Is your life worth imitating?  Jesus lived a life worth imitating.  Jesus had the apostles follow him for three years so they could learn how to live by imitating His life.  Jesus did not give the apostles books to read about how to live.  Jesus showed them how to live not by mere words but by His daily actions.  Jesus was doing the same thing His Father in heaven was doing, just like any boy tries to imitate his father while growing up.  The apostles were teaching everyone how to live by their daily actions.  We are to teach others how to live by our daily actions.  This hit me at the heart level because my life is not yet worth imitating.  There are many things within my heart that I need to change in order for my life to be worth imitating.  Do you have a life worth imitating?  If not, we can allow the Holy Spirit to change our hearts so our life can be worth imitating.  


PRAYER:
Come Holy Spirit and change the things within my heart that needs changing so my life can be worth imitating.  Please make me into a stepping stone for others so they can see you more clearly and not a stumbling block that will lead others away from You.


WHO AM I?
I am Max Peeples, a man who is being continually refined by God so he can finally have a life worth imitating.  A man seeking after God with all of his heart, soul, mind and strength.  A man trying to love himself better so he can love others better—to love my neighbor as myself.  Attached is a picture that my beautiful wife took in Washington last week.