A Faith That Spreads Like Fire
“Brothers and sisters, choose seven men from among you who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom”
Acts 6:3
As the church grew, the disciples got busy. People needed help. Widows needed food. Orphans needed shelter. Harps needed tuning. The disciples’ statistical success led to a spiritual problem. It became harder to find quiet time to spend with God. The early church leaders knew that time in God’s word was their top priority, so they enlisted more leaders to help them lead the church and give themselves more quiet time with God. At the beginning of Acts 6, Luke reports, “Brothers and sisters, choose seven men from among you who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom” (Acts 6:3).
These leaders understood something important. It often requires sacrifice to grow closer to God. They literally hired staff in order to protect their quiet time. Their commitment is convicting. I think about how easily my time with God can get pushed to the back-burner of my life. I have missed quiet time because I hit snooze too many times. I have skipped church to have brunch with my friends. My Bible has sat on my desk while I streamed the same show for the twenty-third time.
Spending time with God is a priority that needs to be protected. Take an honest look at your life, then evaluate what you need to change in order to experience more time with God. If you find yourself thinking, “But, I don’t have any time at all,” then you need to start cutting some things out. Our Bible studies are called “devotions” for a reason. They require a certain level of commitment, sacrifice, and devotion.
When you consistently commit to quiet time for study, prayer, and worship, you will see restoration in your life. You will see your emotional health improve. You will see your faith built. You will even see a breakthrough. Yes, it requires some sacrifice. However, it’s certainly a sacrifice worth making.