Strength for the ChallengeSample

The Basics

The Christian life is not easy; it’s simple. What’s the difference? Believers often find themselves in tough situations. The world, the flesh, and the devil all conspire to derail us from our true calling. Hardships—some out of the blue, some of our own creation— drag us down emotionally. The apostles who spoke the words of today’s verse had just been arrested and flogged for preaching about Jesus (Acts 5:17–42). But even though these early Christian leaders lived difficult lives, they knew their basic duties were simple: praying and studying God’s Word. Knowing God more deeply and spending time in His presence were the uncomplicated things that provided strength for their challenges. In Acts 6, the apostles prioritized their “quiet time” with God over the physical duties of the church—specifically, distributing food to the needy widows. That decision in no way implied that the church leaders were more important than the widows or above physical work. Notice that they arranged for seven wise, godly men to oversee that distribution. But the apostles knew they needed Bible study and prayer to best serve the overall church with their spiritual leadership. An old Sunday school song really captures the truth of the Christian life: “Read your Bible, pray every day, and you’ll grow, grow, grow.”