Devoted


"Those who believed what Peter said were baptized and added to the church -- about three thousand in all. They joined with the other believers and devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching, and fellowship, sharing in the Lord's supper, and in prayer." Acts 2:41-42

I was determined. The fishing was amazing and I couldn't let a second time guy catch more than me. The sun was beginning to set and time was running out. 60, 61, 62 ... No matter how focused and devoted I was, he was just as much. I couldn't pass him up. The daily final tally was 63 trout for me and 68 trout for him. My sole comfort was knowing that the previous year I was the one who showed him how to catch them.

In recording the beginnings of Jesus' church, Luke chronicled the incredible devotion of these new Christ followers. They were at their launching pad. At that time, no one else on planet earth shared their faith in Jesus. How could they possibly survive the attacks that were soon to descend upon them? In a word, devotion. To what? Teaching. Fellowship. The Lord's Supper. Prayer. In so doing, they changed the world. 

Everyone is devoted to something, even if it's to do nothing. We all have some resolute commitments. What are those things in your world, those non-negotiables, that which you won't let go of even when pushed? It may serve us quite well if we retool our "devoted to" list. I suggest beginning with the four things that our faith ancestors had on theirs.

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