Follow Me - Devotional on DiscipleshipSample

DEVOTED TO FELLOWSHIP

We know that God didn't design us to do life alone.Godly relationships are an essential part of living a healthy life. In the early church, we can see an emphasis on fellowship; they met together regularly to break bread, study His Word, and spend time with one another (Acts 2:42).

If you're anything like me, when I read this scripture recently, I quickly skimmed over it thinking; "yeah, yeah, I have read this a hundred times before". Instantly rebuked, I re-read it and was drawn to the word, "devoted". If I'm going to learn something from how the early church lived and fellowshipped with one another, I want to know what it means to be devoted.

According to the Collins Dictionary, the word devoted means; dedicated, consecrated, very loving, loyal, or faithful.

Wow.

True fellowship isn't just a casual "hi" or a friendly wave in passing. Being devoted to fellowship is a deep sense of dedication and loyalty.

Let's be honest, maintaining this kind of fellowship with others can be difficult sometimes, right? It requires effort, time, and grace. Consecrated fellowship doesn't just happen, it's an investment, and it's an investment that the early church valued. I love how the KJV writes it; "they continued steadfastly". Yes, fellowship with other believers may have its ups and its downs, but we are urged to remain steadfast to the cause of devoted fellowship.

Devoted fellowship often looks like small group fellowship; it's hard to live up to the expectation of remaining dedicated, consecrated, very loving, loyal, and faithful to a hundred people – that's next to impossible. Jesus devoted himself in this way to 12 people, His disciples.

I think that the attraction towards loud, fun, large gatherings can be a strong pull, and that has its place. But in reality, devoted fellowship is cultivated in small groups. This is where you can really get to know someone. You can share with one another, pray for one another, and help each other to grow in faith – we can gain wisdom from those around us.

DAY THREE ACTION POINT - Take some time to pray and reflect. Is there anything that is holding you back from devoting yourself to fellowship? What are these things?

PRAYER - Thank you Father, that you have a plan for healthy, devoted relationships for me. Help me see where I can commit and engage more fully in devoted fellowship with other Christians. In Jesus' Name, Amen.