"OVERFLOW"

"And all who believed were together and had all things in common. And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need.

Acts 2:44-45

Today's verse shows a beautiful picture of church unity. A small group of Jesus' followers was empowered by the Holy Spirit one morning, causing one of its leaders to preach about repentance. In the evening, their number ballooned to three thousand. Most of the new believers were in Jerusalem for the Pentecost and scheduled to return home after the festival. They did not live there, nor were there opportunities to relocate to Israel's religious capital. As a result, the native believers had to accommodate the new converts and provide for their needs. When their resources ran out, they had to sell their possessions.

Is this act a timeless principle for Christians? Should we all sell our belongings and distribute the proceeds evenly? According to many Bible scholars, this passage's Greek construction is not a completed and permanent action. Instead, it is an ongoing, incomplete process. Therefore, the early Christians did not always sell their properties and pooled their money. Rather, the members who had the resources rose to the occasion to help the needy brothers from time to time.

Communal sharing is not a timeless example for Christians. Paul had to work for himself to avoid being a burden to the church (2 Thessalonians 3:7-9). He told the Corinthians to give freely, which won’t make sense if all believer's assets were shared (2 Corinthians 9:7). Peter confronted Ananias and told him he didn't have to sell his piece of land (Acts 5:4).

Uniting with the church by participating in its project is to be done voluntarily, not compulsively. Our Lord Jesus sacrificed His life willingly, which makes Him even more endearing. He didn't have to die for us, but He did it anyway. We do not deserve His lovingkindness, let alone His grace.

Similarly, helping others as an obligation is not as impressive as extending your help out of love and compassion. When you are filled with God's love, it overflows, which will run over those who need it.

Every day is a good day to demonstrate God's overflowing love through you. Will you find opportunities to bless someone this week?

Pursue the Savior today!