“But select from among you, brethren, seven men of good reputation, full
of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we may put in charge of this
task(serving)…..and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and the Holy
Spirit…” Acts
6:3-5
We had gathered at a Lake House to spend some extended time
together as our church’s small group. During the winter season we met weekly,
but for these few days, we enjoyed being together 24/7. As the days went on, I
was struck by the servant hearts of these men and women, never expecting others
to wait on them, but all willing to serve others, go the extra mile and do
whatever task needed doing.
As I sat in my chair looking over the lake, I couldn’t help
but think of the verses from Acts 6 where the growing group of believers needed
to find specific men who could take care of serving others. The criteria? They
had to be ‘seven men of good reputation, full of the Spirit and
of wisdom, whom we may put in charge of this task(serving) Acts 6:3
Really God? In order to
serve others in the body of Christ they had to be full of the Holy Spirit and
wisdom? How different from what we often think, that being filled with the
Spirit isn’t as important in the lives of the servants as it is in the lives of
the leaders. But God’s view is the exact opposite.
Stephen was one such man,
full of faith and the Holy Spirit, chosen to serve but also known today as the
first martyr for the cause of Christ. May we too be like Stephen today!
Dear Heavenly Father,
Thank you so much for the tangible
reminder of what it truly means to be full of faith and the Holy Spirit, always
ready to serve others and not expect to be served myself. May I remember that in the days ahead as I
seek to put this into practice in my own life, the life of my family and my
church. Amen
Action Step:
Are
you quick to serve others or do you expect others to serve you because of your
age or position? This week be mindful of what it means to be full of faith and
the Holy Spirit and look for ways to serve others in the body of Christ.
1 comment:
Thank you, Doris. It's so good to be encouraged and inspired by the service of others. May we go forth and realize our strength also is in the Lord who will fulfill His purpose for us.
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