Mama C's Boasting Blog - Day 47

Acts 6:5
...they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Ghost...

First of all, let me say right up front that I am cheating again!  This is yesterday's blog even though I am writing it today.  Yep, you got it.  That means I still have to write the blog for today as well.  Sigh...hey, I never said I was perfect, but I'm workin' on it! Enough...time for yesterday's blog:

Stephen...wow!  What a guy!  He was a man full of faith and full of the Holy Ghost.  Sounds like he'd make somebody a great husband!  I mean think about it.  A Holy Ghost and faith filled Christian man who didn't mind serving.  Who wouldn't love a man like that?!

Seriously though, Stephen was the true model of a servant.  Stop for a moment and read through Acts 6.  You will see that the disciples had their hands full with some bickering amongst the people.  It seemed the Grecians were arguing with the Hebrews about the fact that their widows were being neglected when the food was being served to all the believers.

The disciples decided, with great wisdom I might add, that it would not be good for them to neglect the learning and teaching of the Word to wait on tables (Today's translation: Whoo!  That's a hot mess!  Ain't no way we want to get in the middle of that!)  They decided to choose men who were of good moral character AND (trust me, this part was definitely important) full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom.  Uh, yeah...I think they're going to need it!

If they had chosen me, I probably would have done my best to get the food out there hot and fast and avoid all but the necessary and expected conversations.  Not Stephen.  He not only waited on their tables with a smile on his face (no I CAN'T prove that in the Word), but he also ministered to them.  Acts 6:8 says: And Stephen, full of faith and power, did great wonders and miracles among the people.

Can you believe it?  These are a bunch of already grumpy and argumentative people!  Who in their right mind would want to spend more time than necessary at their table?!  Oh...wait a minute.  Stephen didn't spend more time than necessary.  In fact, he spent all the time that WAS necessary to meet their needs because that is what a server, or a servant, does.  You see, Stephen realized the needs of the people went far deeper than food.

He ministered to them out of the wisdom and power of the Holy Ghost.  Remember...that was one of the requirements to become a servant to these people.  The disciples knew this (in spite of my jesting), so they were extremely careful not to pick just anyone.  Stephen...full of the Holy Ghost and faith...full of wisdom...chosen to the honored position of servant.  Oh my.  Most of us hear the word servant and conjure up images of bondage and cruel slave masters.  But not Stephen.  Oh no, not Stephen.

Stephen saw the position of servant as an honor, and he chose to use it as a means to bless others with the power of God!  The Word says he did "great wonders and miracles among the people".  Imagine, one moment the people are grumbling, the next moment they are receiving a miracle!  Rest assured the atmosphere in the room must have changed dramatically.  There's just something about signs and wonders occurring that always seems to create a Holy Ghost partay!  No more arguing.  No more grumbling.  Ahhh...what a relief it must have been for the disciples!  I'm sure they were very happy they had chosen Stephen.  :-)

In all the years I've been reading the Word of God, I never really noticed this part of the scriptures.  This time, however, it smacked me in the face like a power serve volleyball.  Truly, I never saw it coming!  I'm glad it hit me though because it gave me the opportunity to reflect on the times I have been chosen to serve.  When those times of serving had to do with prison ministry, street ministry, mission trips, etc, I was willing and eager to do whatever I was asked to do because I knew I was doing it to touch lives for God.  Yet when I have been called upon to serve when it did not appear outwardly to have ANYTHING to do with ministry (uh...like Stephen waiting tables), I wasn't always quite so willing and eager.

I believe this scripture has shown me how wrong that attitude was.  You see, whether we are waiting tables, babysitting children, taking out garbage, or any other less-than-desirable activity you can think of, we need to do it with a Stephen attitude.  ***Side note: I think Stephen would have had a very rough day with that grumbling bunch of people if he had not been full of the Holy Ghost!

So what does that tell us?  WE NEED TO BE FULL OF THE HOLY GHOST!  If we are full of the Holy Ghost and faith and wisdom, then we will be able to hear Him as he directs us in how to minister in the serving situation we have been placed in.  Instead of grumbling, "I can't believe I have to do this!", we will be saying, "I can't believe I get to do this!"  Have you been chosen, even if only for a season, by God to serve?  Yes?  Wow!  Aren't you blessed!