“They chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 6:5b, NKJV).
By John Ogden Sr
This setting of scriptures deals with the apostles selecting seven men to wait on the tables and to carry out administrative-type duties while they (the apostles) attend to prayer, fasting, and preaching of the Word. The qualifications for these seven men were that they be of good reputation and full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom. It is interesting to note that these were requirements for administrative duties and standard duties.
Today, these scriptures are often looked at as the requirements for deacons, but I believe they are the requirements for all of us that God has called to action. He does not call anyone to mediocrity. When we look at Stephen’s life, we see him in a couple of stages of growth. First, we see him as a man selected to wait on tables, then we see him as full of power. Acts 6:8 (NKJV) gives us a glimpse of Stephen; “And Stephen, full of faith and power, did great wonders and signs among the people.”
In recent weeks, I have given much thought to why some people seemingly excel and others continue to drink milk and never move into the meat phase. There are many possibilities for this lack of growth, two of which I would like to touch on. First, how we see ourselves (our vision) determines our growth rate. I am firmly convinced that God sees us on a higher plane than we see ourselves. On one of my trips from Daytona Beach back to Arkansas in the cold and pouring rain, I was praying and asking God what I should share at a memorial service for bikers.
This is what rose up in my spirit. When God looks at us, He sees us as we can be, as we were created to be, and as He has called us to be. Yes, He sees our undone condition, but He sees us beyond that to the anointed and powerful men and women He’s called us to be. Reaching this stage requires us to die out to self continually. First, we must get a glimpse of how God sees us. Second, we must allow the Lord to truly be the Lord of our life.
May God awaken us to believe His Word and understand the Spirit’s leading! My question for us today is, how do we see ourselves in light of God’s Word and His calling?