De-voted

 

The second chapter of the book of Acts is fairly foundational for those who want to base their Christianity on the earliest model. That's not to say the 21st Century Church needs to do all the things the 1st Century Church did in the same way it did them. The actions and activities recorded in the book are eyewitness accounts of what happened...not necessarily meant to be prescriptions for us to follow.

However...

Acts 2:42 certainly seems like a good idea for a group of Christ-followers to pay attention to.

They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.

You and I both know what it means to devote oneself: to concentrate on a particular pursuit, occupation, purpose, or cause. And to focus on the pursuits of Jesus' teachings, sharing love and life with fellow believers, and communing with our maker through prayer...this is worthwhile and foundational for calling yourself a church.

However...

What if we looked at the phrase they devoted themselves a little differently? What if we compared devote to similar words like deflate and deaccelerate?

What if we stopped thinking we had a vote on everything that happens in our lives? What if we decided that our decisions are not always the end-all and be-all of our spiritual journeys?

*  *  *  *  *  *  *

Truth is...I want to de-vote myself. I want to take myself out of the driver's seat and give Father, Son, and Holy Spirit complete control.

Have thine own way, Lord. Have thine own way. Thou art the potter. I am the clay.