“Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them. And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers.” (Acts 2:41, 42 NKJV)
When my daughter, faith was a preschooler, my wife and I devised a simple way to teach her to share. We would look at her, hold out our hands and say “share!” Next, we would explain the benefits of sharing. Then we would help her divide what she had or make a plan on how she could share.
It wasn’t long before Faith turned the tables and used the same method on us! If I had something good like a peanut butter cookie (my favorite) she would hold out her hand and say “share!” Because I wanted the benefits of sharing to be real in her life I would obey the command, break that cookie without hesitation, and give it to her. Even though she’s a teenager now, we still have this exchange in our home but we choose to share more often than we are commanded to share.
The early church continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship. The word used for fellowship in this scripture literally means “to share”. These believers had a culture of sharing good things with each other. In any community of believers there are people who possess wonderful talents, knowledge, gifts, and skills. All of these things are given for the benefit, growth, and development of the entire faith community.
Here is an idea; instead of being commanded or forced or even coerced to share the spiritual blessings God has deposited in our lives, we should do so willingly. Sharing should be a vital part of our faith culture. Each time we share we are working with God to be a blessing to others. In time the same kindness will be returned to us by others who choose to share.
How can you share areas of your spiritual life with others?