Skip to main content

A shared life


If we claim that we experience a shared life with him and continue to stumble around in the dark, we’re obviously lying through our teeth—we’re not living what we claim. But if we walk in the light, God himself being the light, we also experience a shared life with one another, as the sacrificed blood of Jesus, God’s Son, purges all our sin. (I John 1:7)

A shared life with one another - what does that really look like? We might just have to admit most of us don't know how to live this 'shared life' very well, but we want to at least give it our best attempt. Anything shared means we participate in, enjoy, and receive something 'jointly'. There isn't any room for 'me' or 'mine'. That is possibly the hardest thing for some who enter into the faith - for all of life has been about what is theirs, with them at the center of their world. When we come into this relationship with Christ, it is Christ himself stated in the Garden of Gethsemane: "Father, not my will, but thine be done." (Luke 22:41-42)

A shared life with Jesus calls for a shared life with one another. I know the early Christian church had a way of sharing all things in common. And all the believers lived in a wonderful harmony, holding everything in common. They sold whatever they owned and pooled their resources so that each person’s need was met. They followed a daily discipline of worship in the Temple followed by meals at home, every meal a celebration, exuberant and joyful, as they praised God. People in general liked what they saw. Every day their number grew as God added those who were saved. (Acts 2:43-47) If we were to even suggest that each believer sell whatever they owned and pooled their resources today, we'd likely be labeled a cult!

This shared walk with Jesus is really exemplified in how the believers gave of themselves, changing their focus for 'me' to 'we'. Living in harmony with one another is the key concept we may not want to focus on, but if we are to live a shared life it begins with laying down our own agendas. The early church had to meet in homes, sharing meals together was a natural part of the 'church meeting', as a result. They had to travel distances, so allowing one to lodge a night or two in your residence was a natural thing. It wasn't just the pooling of resources - it was the willingness to do whatever it took to grow as believers. 

Perhaps this is where we can best find our lesson today - in learning how to do whatever it takes to help each other grow in this faith we call Christianity. It isn't going to happen if we are so focused on 'us' that we forget there is a bigger 'we' that needs our help to grow. The pattern of coming together frequently, sharing the Word of God, and worshipping together is 'growth-inducing'. In other words, we need each other to grow - we need the resources each other brings to the table - not just financial, but spiritual, emotional, and developed wisdom. Just sayin!

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

What did obedience cost Mary and Joseph?

As we have looked at the birth of Christ, we have considered the fact he was born of a virgin, with an earthly father so willing to honor God with his life that he married a woman who was already pregnant.  In that day and time, a very taboo thing.  We also saw how the mother of Christ was chosen by God and given the dramatic news that she would carry the Son of God.  Imagine her awe, but also see her tremendous amount of fear as she would have received this announcement, knowing all she knew about the time in which she lived about how a woman out of wedlock showing up pregnant would be treated.  We also explored the lowly birth of Jesus in a stable of sorts, surrounded by animals, visited by shepherds, and then honored by magi from afar.  The announcement of his birth was by angels - start to finish.  Mary heard from an angel (a messenger from God), while Joseph was set at ease by a messenger from God on another occasion - assuring him the thing he was about to do in marrying Mary wa

A brilliant display indeed

Love from the center of who you are ; don’t fake it. Run for dear life from evil; hold on for dear life to good. Be good friends who love deeply ; practice playing second fiddle. Don’t burn out; keep yourselves fueled and aflame. Be alert servants of the Master, cheerfully expectant. Don’t quit in hard times; pray all the harder. (Romans 12:9-12) Integrity and Intensity don't seem to fit together all that well, but they are uniquely interwoven traits which actually complement each other. "Love from the center of who you are; don't fake it." God asks for us to have some intensity (fervor) in how we love (from the center of who we are), but he also expects us to have integrity in our love as he asks us to be real in our love (don't fake it). They are indeed integral to each other. At first, we may only think of integrity as honesty - some adherence to a moral code within. I believe there is a little more to integrity than meets the eye. In the most literal sense,

Do me a favor

If you’ve gotten anything at all out of following Christ, if his love has made any difference in your life, if being in a community of the Spirit means anything to you, if you have a heart, if you care—then do me a favor: Agree with each other, love each other, be deep-spirited friends. Don’t push your way to the front; don’t sweet-talk your way to the top. Put yourself aside, and help others get ahead. Don’t be obsessed with getting your own advantage. Forget yourselves long enough to lend a helping hand. (Philippians 2:1-4) Has God's love made ANY difference in your life? What is that difference? Most of us will likely say that our lives were changed for the good, while others will say there was a dramatic change. Some left behind lifestyles marked by all manner of outward sin - like drug addiction, alcoholism, prostitution, or even thievery. There are many that will admit the things they left behind were just a bit subtler - what we can call inward sin - things like jealousy,