I have been struggling lately with two topics. The first one I want to address here. What are Christians to do with our spare time? Many of my friends have been asking me to play card games with them (they enjoy losing a lot!) and watching movies. I was taking a look at what the early church did - primarily Acts 2:42-47 and 4:32-37. The apostles did a few primary things: eat together, live together, pray together and learn the Word together. Using this as a context for Paul's words, "All things are permissible, but not all things are beneficial," (1 Corinthians 10:23) I question what we should be doing in our spare time. Is our devotion shown in what we do? We are constantly worshipping and witnessing to something. Are we showing our devotion to lesser things when we spend more time watching television, playing video games, surfing the internet, or playing communal card games (not trying to make an individualistic religion v. communal religion debate) showing our witness that these things deserve our time more than serving others, interceding to the Lord on behalf of others and spending time with the Lord?
I believe the early church had a very real understanding that the presence of Jesus Christ through (and?) His Spirit dwelt inside and among them because they were always talking about Him! Maybe instead of jokingly poking fun at each other or spending time in other ways we could be encouraging towards each other and feeding one another with the Truth. Maybe our community will have more meat and a more concrete understanding of the presence of God in us and through us to other people.
Jesus says "For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them." (Matthew 18:20)
