Full of the Spirit
Scripture:
“Therefore, brothers, pick out from among you seven men of good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we will appoint to this duty. But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.” And what they said pleased the whole gathering, and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolaus, a proselyte of Antioch.” – Acts 6:3–5 (ESV)
Think:
Most of us imagine that if God were going to use us in a significant way, it would start with something significant.
A platform.
A title.
A microphone.
A moment everyone notices.
But Acts 6 tells a different story.
The church is growing rapidly. People are being saved. The gospel is spreading across Jerusalem. And when a need arises, the apostles begin looking for leaders.
What qualifications do they seek?
Not influence.
Not talent.
Not charisma.
They look for people who are full of the Holy Spirit.
And what are these Spirit-filled men being asked to do?
Serve food.
If we’re honest, that’s where many of us would struggle.
We want God to use us, but we often want Him to use us somewhere else.
After the promotion.
After the opportunity.
After the recognition.
Yet God so often meets us in the ordinary.
Stephen didn’t begin by preaching to crowds.
He started by faithfully serving widows.
No spotlight.
No applause.
No stage.
Just quiet obedience.
And maybe that’s why this passage feels so personal.
Because most of life is lived there.
Not in the big moments everyone sees.
But in the daily faithfulness no one notices.
The prayer nobody hears.
The meal you prepare.
The volunteer role that feels unseen.
The child you disciple.
The person you encourage.
The burden you carry.
The world says significance comes from being known.
Jesus says significance comes from being faithful.
Stephen’s story reminds us that God does some of His deepest work in the hidden places. Before He entrusts us with influence, He forms our character. Before He uses us publicly, He shapes us privately.
And perhaps the most challenging question in Acts 6 is this:
Would I still serve Jesus if nobody ever noticed?
Would I still be faithful if there were no recognition?
No title?
No applause?
Because the measure of spiritual maturity is not how many people know your name.
It’s whether Jesus can trust your heart.
Stephen never knew that one day his story would be recorded in Scripture and read by millions of believers. He simply said yes to the assignment in front of him.
And that ordinary yes became part of an extraordinary story.
The same is true for us.
God is not asking you to be famous.
He’s asking you to be faithful.
Application:
Where are you tempted to overlook the assignment God has placed in front of you because it feels small, ordinary, or unseen? Ask God to help you see your daily faithfulness through His eyes.
Prayer:
Father, forgive me for measuring significance the way the world does. Help me trust that You are at work even in the hidden places. Fill me with Your Spirit and teach me to be faithful with whatever You place in my hands. Amen.
