“In Between Normals”: A 30 Day Devotion on the Book of Acts预览

Who Are You Blessing Today?

Our society has become more and more individualistic. We glorify the culture of “It's all about me.” Such culture, however, is anything but Christian. Jesus says, "By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." (John 13:35). In fact, "it is better to give than to receive." (Acts 20:35)

As we journey through this land of "in between normals," God is challenging us to leave behind the values that belong to the old world. Instead, we pick up new values, the ones that we need for the Kingdom "new normal."

My favourite part of today's reading is how Barnabas sought out and mentored a young guy named Saul. We met him two days ago.

Saul had a past. He didn't have a good reputation and many Christians were suspicious of him. But this didn't stop Barnabas from stepping in. Though Barnabas was based in Jerusalem, he took the trouble of travelling over 600 miles to Tarsus, Saul's hometown, to look for Saul and then took him to Antioch. There, "for a whole year," Barnabas mentored him, introduced him to the Christian community, and helped him develop his ministry.

A few years later, this young guy Saul would become Apostle Paul, the guy who wrote half of the New Testament. No Barnabas, no Paul.

The biblical culture is counter-cultural. In the Kingdom "new normal," we become intentional in looking "to the interests of the others." (Philippians 2:4) Love always points outward.

Like Saul, I am also a beneficiary of others' sacrificial love. I am who I am today because of those people who sought me out and invested in me. I didn't deserve it. But I am grateful for what they did.

My friend, who are you blessing today? Now, you might ask, "What's in it for me?" Here is the answer: The beauty of your sacrificial love is that... (drumroll please) …Nobody will know you are the hero behind the scenes! But your God in heaven knows exactly what you are doing in secret! You will find a kind of satisfaction that no one can explain. And your God in heaven will be smiling because of you!

So, who are you blessing today?

Reflection:

Who has been a blessing to you in your life and how? Who in your world can you extend help to today?