“Now the multitude of those who believed were of one heart and one soul; neither did anyone say that any of the things he possessed was his own, but they had all things in common. And with great power the apostles gave witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And great grace was upon them all. Nor was there anyone among them who lacked; for all who were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the proceeds of the things that were sold, and laid them at the apostles’ feet; and they distributed to each as anyone had need.” Acts 4:32-35
How can I forget the day I met a homeless man who was thrilled and proud to share with me and several others how he had gone dumpster diving and extracted for himself a pair of sneakers that despite being the wrong size from what I recall were perfectly usable, i.e. wearable? Sneakers are sneakers, after all. He couldn’t have been more delighted at his salvation of the sneakers. Isn’t it something that some of us have so many pairs of sneakers and shoes in our closets not to mention other things and so much food in our pantries and so much stuff in our attics, basements, garages, and houses, and so many houses, and so much we don’t even need, and don’t even wear, or use, or eat, and so much money in our bank accounts we store away to use for luxuries like fancy cars and fancy clothes and fancy vacations and fancy entertainment and fancy this or that while all the while people go dumpster diving for a pair of wrong-sized sneakers, or kids go through garbage dumps looking for morsels of moldy, rotten, food, and people worldwide are starving, need medical care, are homeless, are too cold, too hot, hungry, hurting, etc.?
Is it possible that if we all went before the Lord, and all went into our closets, and houses, and pocketbooks, and pantries, and wherever else He might lead us, and most of all our hearts, and asked Him to show us what He wants us to part with, to let go, to release, to share, and to give, all of which is His anyway, His that He blessed us with, that more people who are in need would receive what they need so they would not lack?
Are we willing to do this? Do we really need all we have? Is all we have devoted so utterly to the Lord that we are using it for His will, for His plan and for His purposes and for His glory such that in having it, and in using it, and in distributing it to others, yes, in giving it if, as, when, how, and to whom His Spirit so leads us, that we will fulfill His greatest commands to love Him with all our hearts and to love others? With all that we have, are we loving the Lord and others?
Is this as convicting a message for you as it is for me? In the verses above, believers in Christ in the so-called early church as described in the Bible did not experience the lack that so many people in today’s world experience. In Christ’s love, they had one heart, one soul, and did not call what they had theirs because they knew it was the Lord’s and was His provision for all. They knew it was all Christ’s and as such was meant for everyone such that all needs were met. Is this not a picture of Christ’s love?
May we all go into our “closets”, and most importantly our hearts, and let the Spirit of God shine His light on us, and what we possess, such that we hear the Lord’s will with what He has so graciously and generously given us and do what He leads us to do with it. For Christ’s sake.