The Basics

GETTING STARTED

As a person in ministry, I am often involved in people’s lives when they go through the trauma and loss of broken relationships, illness, death, and struggle. It is a great privilege. In these times, simply being present is most of what is needed. Understanding provides more encouragement than advice; however, experience has taught me that one of the most common pieces of advice needed in a crisis is not what you would expect. Under stress, people often forget to simply eat and sleep. I have learned to encourage people to attend the most basic of their needs. Without those needs met, people often can’t survive.

READ THE WORD: ACTS 1.12-26 (ESV)

¹²Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a Sabbath day’s journey away. ¹³And when they had entered, they went up to the upper room, where they were staying, Peter and John and James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot and Judas the son of James. ¹⁴All these with one accord were devoting themselves to prayer, together with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers.

¹⁵In those days Peter stood up among the brothers (the company of persons was in all about 120) and said, ¹⁶“Brothers, the Scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit spoke beforehand by the mouth of David concerning Judas, who became a guide to those who arrested Jesus. ¹⁷For he was numbered among us and was allotted his share in this ministry.” ¹⁸(Now this man acquired a field with the reward of his wickedness, and falling headlong he burst open in the middle and all his bowels gushed out. ¹⁹And it became known to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so that the field was called in their own language Akeldama, that is, Field of Blood.) ²⁰“For it is written in the Book of Psalms,

²¹So one of the men who have accompanied us during all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, ²²beginning from the baptism of John until the day when he was taken up from us—one of these men must become with us a witness to his resurrection.” ²³And they put forward two, Joseph called Barsabbas, who was also called Justus, and Matthias. ²⁴And they prayed and said, “You, Lord, who know the hearts of all, show which one of these two you have chosen ²⁵to take the place in this ministry and apostleship from which Judas turned aside to go to his own place.” ²⁶And they cast lots for them, and the lot fell on Matthias, and he was numbered with the eleven apostles.

DIGGING DEEPER

RESPOND TO GOD

As we minister, we come alongside people who are under stress and encourage them to pray, pay attention to the Bible, and trust Jesus. Sometimes it feels like we are offering people the most simplistic advice. But, without these basics, none of us can survive the inevitable traumas and losses we will face. I am encouraged that the disciples, enduring the brutal murder of their leader and friend, remained devoted to prayer and the Word. They prayed, they sought the Scriptures about what to do, and they trusted. We would do well to do the same. Sticking to the basics won’t just get us through to the other side, but it will help us thrive and flourish despite the challenges of life.