Have you brought previous misconceptions and generalizations into your relationship with Christ?

Read: Acts 2.42-47

It’s common for two people to bring “baggage” into a relationship. Past hurts, fresh wounds, misconceptions and flawed generalizations—those issues can tie a debilitating weight around any new romance. In much the same way, I brought baggage into my relationship with Jesus. My baggage was church baggage. As the young child of divorced parents, I had some pretty negative church experiences and met some pretty cold church people. I grew into an adolescent with little use for church and – by association – God.
   
Thankfully, God untangled my misconceptions and healed my past hurts. He helped me understand His perfect and tender character apart from the actions of His people – all while nurturing a deep love for His church within me. Today, I understand His church is made of people who are sinful and selfish, just like me. I am encouraged by the reality that apart from Christ we all mess it up. But when we are unified in our pursuit of Him and His will, life gets crazy, exciting and full. We see this perfectly in Acts 2:42-47:

“They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. 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.”

What a treat to follow Him with you!