By Pastor Dr. Aggrey Soyekwo
How we grow (26/6/2021)
Acts 2:42 “They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.” – NIV
There are no shortcuts to growth. Growth is both the effect of personal commitment of each one of us, as much as the result of the inputs into our lives. We often admire the early church and their great accomplishments for God. But few want to ask what they did to grow so strong in the Lord and to attain what they achieved. The scripture above gives us the secret: daily devotion. Nothing replaces a personal intimate walk with God towards quality spiritual growth.
Four major avenues of growth are mentioned: devotion to teachings of the apostles, fellowship among themselves, breaking of bread and prayer. The word was the centre of teaching. Their fellowship with one another was sincere. They broke bread in communion with one another and with the Lord. They prayed daily. Such was their lifestyle. And they grew so much to be like their Lord that they were nicknamed Christians (Acts 11:26). We cannot do less and expect to be like them or better.
Growth is first and foremost individual. And this means devotion to the teachings of the word through personal study, fellowship with others, communion with the Lord and prayer at individual level. What manifests publicly is developed and shaped in the secret chambers. The church is only as strong as its individual members. The extent of our growth is determined by the quality of our personal devotional lives with God.
Acts 2:46-47 “Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.”
Shalom children of God.