Day 30

When Stephen was pressed, what spilled out of him was what had filled him.

‘They chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit ... Now Stephen, a man full of God’s grace and power, performed great wonders and signs among the people.’ (Acts 6:5-8)

Do you notice the word that applies to Stephen in the verse above? It’s the word ‘full.’ He was full of the Spirit, full of faith, full of grace, and full of power. To be full means you overflow. When Stephen faced difficult challenges, what flowed out of him was grace and power from the Spirit – because that is what he was full of.

Think of a water-saturated sponge. If you put that sponge down and press on it with your finger, water runs out – even if you press on it lightly. Stephen was a man full of grace and wisdom, and when he was pressed and provoked, the Bible says, ‘They could not stand up against the wisdom the Spirit gave him as he spoke’ (Acts 6:10). Stephen faced some significant challenges, but when pressed, wisdom is what surfaced. The same principle is true for us – what we are full of, is what will come out of us. If we’re full of anger, it’ll come out when pressed. If we’re full of bitterness, it’ll come out when provoked – but if we are filled with the wisdom of God, that too will come out like it did for Stephen.

What fills your heart? What flows out of you when the pressure comes?