Word for the day by Christian Education Forum

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CHALLENGES OF DISCIPLESHIP
Acts 7:54-60 
(v. 59-60) While they were stoning Stephen, he prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.”  Then he knelt down and cried out in a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” When he had said this, he died.
Life was not meant to be a comfortable journey.  Life’s journey enables us to understand that our life does not belong to us but rather to God.  So many times, we see ourselves or people around us desiring to “live life to the fullest”, usually when we hear this phrase, it is said on a selfish basis.  Many times, we think it is our life and it belongs to us.  How much are we able to realize that our existence belongs to God?  Along with that, the time we have, do we know that belongs to God?  We are created to have a purposeful life surrendered to God. Psalm 24:1 says: “The earth is the Lord’s and all that is in it, the world, and those who live in it”.  We should surrender ourselves to God and guide the world around us to do likewise.  It is not by just telling them how to live but by living the life for God that can model others to do likewise.

Here in this passage, we see the first Martyr of Christianity in Stephen.  He was known to be a humanitarian as he was chosen to supervise food distribution to the needy of the early Church.  He was gifted in speaking, teaching, and debating.  He was concerned to be faithful in all that he did, whatever he was given to do whether great or small tasks, he wanted to be faithful.  He gave his best in whatever he was given to do.  That brings us to reflect on our lives, are we faithful to whatever is given to us?  Sometimes, if we are given a small task, we may think negatively about it and not give our full effort to it.  One thing we must realize is that in the eyes of God, there is no task great or small, but rather, in whatever we must do, we must be held accountable for it.  We should be giving our best because we live not for ourselves or for our glory, but we live to glorify God.

Stephen was faithful in all that was given to him, and even in his faithful living, he was persecuted to the point of death.  But even in Stephen’s death, he gave it all to the Lord.  He looked up to heaven and saw the glory of God, the world’s response did not matter to him, all that mattered to him was God.  That is where he cried out “Lord, do not hold this sin against them” (v. 60a), then he fell asleep.  My brothers and sisters, we should not think about the rewards or the reactions of this world, but rather, live to glorify God and seek to please Him in all that we are called for.  We will face hardships but let us keep persevering as long as God calls us to live in this world.
PRAYER
Triune God, guide me to be faithful in this world to live for you and not for ourselves.  As You love me, help me to love You more and more each day, in Christ’s name I pray, Amen.
Thought for the day
“I am only one, but still I am one. I cannot do everything, but still I can do something; and because I cannot do everything, I will not refuse to do something that I can do.” - Helen Keller

Rev. Roshen V. Mathews
Trinity Mar Thoma Church, Houston, TX

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