Listening To The Word - 1 YearSample

Fullness

Acts 6:3, 5, 8
“…‘choose seven men…known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom’…They chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit…Now Stephen, a man full of God’s grace and power, did great wonders and miraculous signs among the people.”

Stephen was not an ordinary deacon. As the first deacon discerned by the Church, he set the bar high for any who would follow. He was known (demonstrated in life) to be full of the Spirit, wisdom, faith, grace and power. That’s quite a list of qualities with which to be filled!

How do you get full of the qualities, and more importantly, how do you stay full, especially when you are constantly serving and giving, in the role of a deacon?

Prayer was Stephen’s source. He was constantly yielding, surrendering to the Holy Spirit and allowing the life of the Spirit to be expressed through his life. His martyrdom was the consequence of the fullness with which he lived. Fullness and the power of the Spirit will be opposed. Stephen looked like his leader, Jesus, and he died like his leader.

Lord Jesus, I too pray for the fullness of your Spirit in my life, for your glory.