There is something very attractive and very compelling about true goodness and godliness in action.

Consider this picture of the church in Acts 2:46-47: “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.”

This was a group of people who also prayed together, learned together, witnessed miracles together, and shared their possessions.

Glad and sincere hearts.

In verse 47 we learn that God kept adding to their number. I can’t help but think that this wasn’t just because of what they were learning, but how they were living as a result of what they were learning.

A highly-talented ballerina once gave an exceptional performance. Afterward, someone asked her what her dance meant. She said, “If I could have said it, I wouldn’t have needed to dance it.”*

Even though Jesus’ followers should be able to talk about the meaning of their faith, I think the ballerina gives us food for thought. There are times when simply doing something—and doing it well—communicates a meaning that we might not be able to put into words.

There are times when you mess up. And there are times when the church messes up. But there are also times when you get it right. And there are times when the church gets it right. There are times when you need to be inspired by true goodness and godliness in action. And there are other times when you are the one to provide that inspiration to someone else.

Either way, walking faithfully with “glad and sincere hearts” is a source of inspiring encouragement and therefore never a waste of time.

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Notes:

–*As told in: N.T. Wright, The Challenge of Jesus: Rediscovering who Jesus was and is (Downers Grove: IVP Academic, 1999), 168.

–Bible quotes are from the NIV.