Written by Ann Thiede, volunteer with Iron Rose Sister Ministries in Arkansas

“One of the most powerful emotions is gratitude. If we can find ways to be thankful and grateful throughout our life, we will find the power and emotional strength to walk through some of life’s hardest seasons.”

This portion from the YouVersion Bible app devotional, Creating a Heart of Gratitude, exemplifies the early Christians — men and women — forgiven, redeemed, and compelled by the love of Christ in spite of trials and tribulation. They have left a powerful legacy for the church today.

In Acts 1, the disciples of Jesus witnessing Him ascend back to His Father after the resurrection could only be called a dramatic experience. Afterwards, to the amazement of all, the Holy Spirit descended like flames upon the Christ-followers gathered in Jerusalem to celebrate Pentecost. Peter preached, and all that had gathered from various nations understood his powerful words in their own language! He ended by proclaiming, “Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.” (Acts 2:36 NIV).Three thousandJews and proselytes, cut to the heart, believed his message and were baptized! Genuine love, fellowship, and gratitude characterized these new disciples — the first church.

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 2:46-47)

By Acts 4:4, the church grew to five thousand! By Acts 5:14, “more and more men and women believed in the Lord and were added to their number.”Disciples were making disciples as the Good News spread.

But then, in Acts 7, Spirit-filled Stephen was stoned to death and “a great persecution broke out against the church in Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria”(Acts 8:1).This would appear to be bad news, but no! “Those who had been scattered preached the word wherever they went”(v4).Joy and ‘in-spite-of’ gratitude were their strength!

Philip spread the Good News in a Samaritan town and then was invited into a chariot and shared the Scriptures about Jesus with an important Ethiopian eunuch. At one point the eunuch said, “Look, here is water. Why shouldn’t I be baptized?”(Acts 8:36).So Philip baptized him, “and the eunuch did not see him again, but went on his way rejoicing”(v39).Imagine this grateful new disciple going back to Ethiopia and spreading the Good News!

The Spirit’s work continued. While persecuting and imprisoning Christians, Saul (as recorded in Acts 9, 22, and 26) dramatically encountered Christ, realized the truth of His Lordship, and then created havoc among the Jews by immediately preaching Jesus and His resurrection. In the meantime, Peter broke protocol and preached to a devout Gentile centurion, Cornelius, and his close friends and relatives. In the middle of preaching, the Holy Spirit fell on these Gentiles as He had in Acts 2! “The circumcised believers who had come with Peter were astonished that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on the Gentiles”(Acts 10:45).God’s grace and resulting gratitudesurely filled the hearts of Saul, now Paul, and Cornelius!

Acts 9:36-42 recounts another supernatural event among the disciples in Joppa. Dorcas, or Tabitha, who was always doing good, helping the poor, and clothing the widows, died. She was so beloved that Peter was urged to come at once. He prayed, took her by the hand, and presented her alive once more! With great joy and gratitude, the news spread, and as a result “many people believed in the Lord”(v42).

The book of Acts illustrates a Christ-loving cloud of witnesses motivated by grace and producing a great harvest of souls.Who will you join? Philip sharing Jesus with a stranger? Peter proclaiming Good News to previously shunned people? Dorcas honoring Jesus as she shares His love while doing good? Paul asking prayers for words to “fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel”(Eph 6:19)?

May gratitude for all God has done in your life be your driving force.