“Brothers and sisters, choose seven men from among you who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will turn this responsibility over to them (of serving tables).” — Acts 6:3
See Stephen … In the Shadows
The early church was booming, and in crisis, they needed people to serve tables. The credentials listed in the selection process were pretty specific: good reputation, full of the Spirit and of wisdom. Stephen was one of the seven men who met the standards.
I doubt there was a scramble to get in the application line.
When I was a chaplain to the Cleveland Indians, the security guards at the players’ parking lot reserved a parking spot for my short locker room visits. One day they said to me, “We can name the players involved in the team ministry.” They proceeded to name them. When I asked how they were so accurate, they said, “We can tell by the way they treat people.”
People with a servant heart are more concerned about others than themselves. As much as they favor the shadows over public prominence, they are obvious by the way they treat people.
When Jesus’ disciples argued who was the greatest among them, He identified the greatest as the one who is a servant. Stephen was a great man because he served people.
Are you living in the shadows and yet wish you were great? You will find greatness in being a servant. You may not be prominent in the world’s eyes, but you will be great in the eyes of the One who orders the universe.
When we as Jesus’ followers arrive in Heaven, we will be greeted with, “Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things” (Matthew 25:21).
— Tom Petersburg, Catapult Ministries
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