Reading for Second Sunday of Easter
Acts 4:32-35
Devotion
Peace be with you!
How often do you simply put your trust in the Lord? I get anxiety when I have an open shift come up suddenly. An open shift means I have no one to come feed me a meal, to help me with household chores, and/or to take me to my appointments. I really get frantic when this happens, and I start calling friends who will help me in a jam. I also get anxiety when I get low on the essentials, like toilet papers, food, and so on. Because I cannot drive a car and need a personal caregiver to take me shopping, I cannot just run to the store whenever I want.
After Jesus’s ascent into heaven, his first followers engage in a minimalist lifestyle. These first believers become one community where individuals work together for the common goal of spreading the good news of Jesus’s resurrection. No one goes hungry or suffers; the community takes care of everyone’s needs. The apostles live on the generosity of the communities to which they travelled. People sell their land and houses and give proceeds to provide for the apostles’ every need (Acts 4:34-35). The community of believers care for one another.
By living as minimalists, the apostles and the other believers put their trust in the Lord. Unlike Thomas initially did (John 20:19-31), the apostles trust the Lord will present ways to meet their needs without having riches. The apostles are self-giving by sacrificing the luxuries of the world and sharing what they own with others. No one believer claims to own his own anything but shares it with his other brothers in Jesus Christ. Because of their faith in Jesus and their trust he would provide for their every need, the apostles never go without (Acts 4:34).
The apostles and believers experience a new way of life when they give up the things—property and material things—to ensure everyone is blessed in this world. When the apostles and believers give up things they do not need, they become closer to the Lord and grow more aware of where he is working in their lives. The Lord leads the apostles and believers to amazing places where their gifts can be used and to people who need to hear the good news or a word of hope.
Like the apostles, I have had to create a community where I can depend on friends, family members, and personal caregivers. I would not be as successful without my interdependent community. Although I strive to live as a minimalist , I try to only buy what I need. I only stock up on items which I know I will use over time, such as paper towels, toilet paper, juices, Coke, etc. There are just some situations I plan ahead for, such as having corndogs always in my freezer in case of the rare occasion I cannot fill an open shift. In a society where we strive to as independent as possible, the apostles give us a way to create a healthy, interdependent community where people work together to ensure everyone receives the blessings of this world. When we work together, we build healthy relationships and a safe community for all.
Thanks be to God!
Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you for giving us the example of the apostles. Help us to live as minimalists and trust you will provide for our every need. Lead us to the people and the places where we are needed. Be with those who struggle to let go of the things of the world. Thank you for giving us new life in Jesus Christ. Amen.
Reflective Questions
Please answer the following reflective questions in the comments below. Please agree to disagree and be respectful to each other. (If you have not already done so, please also take a moment, to sign the behavior covenant by commenting on it.) You can answer as many questions as you would like.
- How do you put your trust in the Lord?
- Describe a time when the Lord provided for something.
- List only one hundred items that you absolutely need to survive. Remember each collectible counts as one.