Getting Stoned in the Spirit...

Suggested Reading: Acts 6:8-15, 7:55-60 or Acts 6:8-7:60 (the entire story)

I've read the story dozens, if not hundreds of times, and I didn't notice the connection until recently.

"But Stephen, filled by the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven. He saw God’s glory, with Jesus standing at the right hand of God, and he said, 56 “Look! I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!” Then they screamed at the top of their voices….and began to stone him" (Acts 7:55-58).

I don't know how I missed it. Maybe, I just wasn't ready for it. Stephen was filled with the Holy Spirit. Four different times within the story of Acts 6-7, scripture tells us that Stephen was filled by the Holy Spirit. We're told his face looked like that of an angel. We're told the Spirit moved so powerfully through his words that no one could even argue with him, that they had to resort to lying. We're told that he was able to look up into heaven and see Jesus standing at God's right hand. In the middle of being stoned, we're told that he knelt down and asked God to forgive the people who were stoning him, just like Jesus asked God to forgive those who crucified and mocked him. Stephen was filled by the Holy Spirit.

It got Stephen killed.

It is easy to think that if we are filled with the Spirit, that everything will go easy for us. It is easy to believe that everything will always work out for our benefit if we just trust God. But that isn't always the case. Sometimes, following the will and Spirit of God will lead us directly into the lion's mouth. The same thing has happened with others - Peter, Paul, Jim Elliot, thousands of martyred and persecuted believers since the time of Jesus and in closed countries today. But how does that make any sense? How can being filled by the Holy Spirit ever bring you to a place where you are stoned, persecuted or killed? Why would God lead Stephen to such a place?

When we keep reading, we see that Stephen's death started a massive persecution for the church in Jerusalem. It was so bad that all the believers but the Apostles fled for their lives. And when they fled, they took the Gospel with them.

You see, up to this point, the Gospel hadn't really moved beyond the walls of Jerusalem and it certainly hadn't been shared with the Gentiles on any large scale. When Stephen died and the persecution began, the Gospel spread like wildfire across the region and eventually around the world. All because Stephen was willing to listen to and follow the lead of the Spirit regardless of where it led him.

The Spirit does not lead us down paths that make us happy. The Spirit leads us down paths that build up the Kingdom, down paths that we will want to walk more and more once we actually begin the journey. Following the Spirit won't always lead us to peaceful, pleasant places but it will lead us to the heart of God's Kingdom. Stephen was willing to follow the Spirit's lead wherever it took him. Are we?

Finding Motivation for Family Competitions

Suggested Reading: Ecclesiastes 4:4-6, Matthew 6:25-33

In Cheaper by the Dozen 2, Steve Martin plays a father who takes his wife and 10 children on vacation, only to discover that an old rival is also vacationing at the lake with his own family. This other father is rich with a supermodel for a wife and children who all excel in both schooling and sports. Martin's character, driven by jealousy and a competitive desire to prove he is just as good a father, enters his family into a competition against his rival's family. His desire to prove his own worth pushes him to succeed but it also pushes his family away.

Solomon, the likely author of Ecclesiastes, knew something about this dynamic. He records, Then I observed that most people are motivated to success because they envy their neighbors. But this, too, is meaningless—like chasing the wind (Ecclesiastes 4:4, NLT). Most of us tend to think we are above "jealousy" but we practice variations called insecurity and self-importance, using what we have accomplished and what we own as our measures. We believe are just as good, just as important, just as worthy as that person over there who has all of the things we think we deserve. We're not "jealous", it's just not fair that that person has what we deserve, especially when they themselves don't deserve it. And so we work to prove what we deserve - the recognition, the higher salary, the leisure time, the perfect family - never realizing that we are working so hard because we are jealous.

But we cannot allow ourselves to be motivated by the things we think we deserve or the desire to prove that we are just as good or worthy as someone else. As believers, our focus is to be building the kingdom of God and our motivation is to be gratitude toward a God who loved us enough to send His Son to save us. Jesus advised us, Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need (Matthew 6:33, NLT) because whenever our thoughts are focused on what we don't have or on what we think we deserve our focus is away from seeking the lost and making disciples. 

What things have you been focused on because you believe you deserve more? A better job? More time off? That new electronic gadget? A spouse who appreciates you more? Don't work so hard to get what you don't have or what you think you deserve. Focus on the Kingdom of God, and God will make sure you have everything you need.