With Glad & Sincere Hearts

My aunt is one of the most likeable people on the planet. She is also a very good cook. (I’m pretty sure these two attributes are interchangeable.)  She wears Christmas sweaters and calls you sugar and genuinely loves people in a way that few people do. So when she asked if I could make a print using this verse for her kitchen, I was excited and honored.

They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts. -Acts 2:46

When she sent me this verse, I knew I wanted it to hang in my kitchen, too. Because I think it’s a beautiful picture of community and fellowship, and I want my home to be that place where people can come and find rest.

I went back and read the rest of the chapter in Acts to understand the bigger picture of this verse. The Holy Spirit had just come upon the apostles. Some were amazed at their changed behavior, and some mocked them, thinking they were a bunch of drunks. Peter addresses the crowds by explaining what has happened, what is happening, and what is to come. Peter preached the gospel.

After Peter’s plead for others to accept the gospel message, the last section describes the fellowship of the believers:

They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who 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. Acts 2: 42-46

 And I strive to have this kind of community. They had everything in common not because their clothes were similar or they lived in the same neighborhood or had kids the same age, but they had everything in common because they responded to the gospel the same way. Because Christ's death and resurrection changed them. Together they gave to those in need without looking back. They met every day and probably shared their struggles and joys and questions. They ate together with glad and sincere hearts. To live life this way would be hard and vulnerable and wonderful.  

Now the print hangs in my kitchen and it reminds me of the way God-centered community and fellowship is supposed to look like. Full of honesty and selflessness and Jesus.

This print is now available for purchase! For more information head over to the shop.