TODAY’S DEVOTIONAL PASSAGE
1 Now in these days when the disciples were increasing in number, a complaint by the Hellenists arose against the Hebrews because their widows were being neglected in the daily distribution. 2 And the twelve summoned the full number of the disciples and said, “It is not right that we should give up preaching the word of God to serve tables. 3 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. 4 But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.” 5 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. 6 These they set before the apostles, and they prayed and laid their hands on them. 7 And the word of God continued to increase, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests became obedient to the faith.
Acts 6:1–7
DEVOTIONAL
by Elder Chris Beltran
The apostles realized that the appointed seven could no longer accomplish their responsibility to care for the poor. The modern concept of hiring people to do almost every church ministry is not God’s way of expanding His kingdom. There are a lot of ministries where we believers can serve. There is no end to the ministry opportunities the Lord is giving us as long as we are available for Him.
You might think about your qualifications to minister. If so, let’s look at the qualifications the Apostles set. Does it include financial status, intelligence, or special abilities? There were only two: one must be full of the Spirit and wisdom. Being filled with the Spirit means one is under the power and direction of God. This starts with the right attitude. It is no longer you who does the work but God through you.
The second qualification is being filled with wisdom. The apostles value wisdom over intelligence. Intelligence alone does not make a person wise. We need to be doing the right thing at the right time, and this requires an intimate daily walk with the Lord in our lives while striving to apply all teachings we have learned. Having proper education, learning, and experiences are good and essential, but the Bible reminds us that “the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom” (Prov. 9:10).
PRAYER
Heavenly Father, we humbly come before You, recognizing that You have equipped each believer with unique gifts and abilities to serve in Your kingdom. Help us to prioritize being filled with Your Spirit and walking in wisdom as we minister to others. May our hearts be attuned to Your guidance, and may we always remember that Your power is working through us. Grant us the fear of the Lord, which leads to true wisdom, so that we may serve You faithfully and effectively, in Jesus’ name, amen.
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