Daily Devotional for Friday, December 13

The Leaders Encouraged Paul

"And when James, Cephas, and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that was given unto me, they gave to me and Barnabas the right hands of fellowship; that we should go unto the heathen, and they unto the circumcision;' Galatians 2:9.

There are days when my husband andI are on the same page. Without planning, the tasks on the to-do list are completed, thekids get to and from their practices and appointments, the kitchen is cleaned after a delicious dinner, and everyone feels heard and respected. Then there are days when everything feels off. Alarm clocks were not set. The laundry needed is stillin the washer. We forget to pick up kids fromband practice. Someone feels neglected and sulks, and by the end of the day, half of the people in our house have stomped to their rooms out of frustration. Thankfully, the good days heavily outweigh the bad, and when we are in sync, life seems easier, less stressful and full of joy.

We see this same spirit of unity after Paul's meeting. The conference in Jerusalem addressed the issue of circumcision among the Gentile believers (Acts 15:4-19). In the end, it was concluded that God had called each person to his respective ministry, unified by the gospel of grace and not of works. The three men mentioned in this passage were James, Peter and John. Paul called them "pillars" as they were influential andgrounded in their faith in Christ having walked with Him in His earthly ministry. These leaders encouraged Paul and Barnabas by extending the right hand of fellowship, an action that affirmed their agreement and support for the work among the Gentiles. In Galatians 2:10, we see that the leaders only asked that Paul and Barnabas remember the poor, of which Paul had always committed to do.

THOUGHT FOR TODAY

The work being done in our churches is less stressful and full of joy when we are in sync and unified in Spirit.

Ashley Ridings