Blog – 10-23-19 I read something in my bible commentary today that truly spoke to me. It was talking about Stephen, the first martyr of the church. His trial and violent death are recorded in Acts 6 and 7. The commentary read: “Jesus was the single and final reason for all Stephen did, and when Stephen died, it was for his Savior. Stephen had no eyes for effects or results or the opinions of the crowd. He cared not for what people did or said. He was a simple servant who looked to his Master and was confident of his reception in heaven.” Eugene H. Peterson. Wow, what incredible faith. What intense focus – everything for his Savior and his Savior alone. I realize most of us will not be called to live out our faith to this extreme, to the point of death, but what powerful questions his sacrifice and this commentary stirs within my soul. Can I stand here and say I have a single focus – Jesus? Can I stand here and say I have no eyes for the opinion of the crowd? Can I stand here and say I don’t worry about what people say or think about me? Can I stand here and say I don’t worry about the results of what I do? My faith feels so small when I read about Stephen. I think about the fear that can wash over me when I am faced with the opportunity to proclaim my faith. I lament the decisions I have made to hide in the crowd for fear of being made fun of rather than to be bold and speak out about truth. I regret the missed opportunities to share my faith. Yet as I continue to reflect on this, instead of feeling God’s judgment, I feel His encouragement. I feel Him whispering to my spirit words of life, not condemnation. I hear Him prodding me on in the steps of faith He is laying before me. I sense the Holy Spirit inviting me to trust Him with the results, believing He will take care of the crowds and the people who will come against me. I feel Him calling me to be faithful in the simple things, like Stephen modeled so beautifully for all of us. And the other really cool thing to note is Stephen’s death didn’t destroy the church, as the angry people who were throwing those stones hoped it would. It actually had the opposite effect. It strengthened the church and increased the influence and reach it had. It was also a key event in the conversion of Paul, who was one of the strongest leaders ever in the expansion of the Gospel. The death of Stephen is definitely challenging to all Christians. But in reality, the life Stephen lived before he was killed is even more challenging. Before he gave his life for the gospel, he lived his life for the gospel. He lived as a servant and modeled the life Jesus lived. He served with excellence, whether he was getting recognition for it or not. He was singularly focused on his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. We can be encouraged and choose to learn the beautiful lessons God has for us in how Stephen lived his life, not just in how he died. We can choose to focus our eyes on the opinion of God and God alone. We can choose to ignore what the world thinks of us. We can choose to live the life of a servant, serving God in the best ways we can, even when no one is watching. We may never be called to die for our faith as Stephen was, but I believe with all my heart that we are all, each and every one of us, called to live as Stephen did! Hugs and love, Jill