“Stephen, a man full of God’s grace and power, performed amazing miracles and signs among the people.”
Acts 6:8 (NLT)
Stephen steps into Acts 6 as one of the seven appointed to serve, but Luke won’t let us see him as “just a helper.” He keeps giving us these phrases that reveal who Stephen really is: full of the Spirit and wisdom, full of faith and the Holy Spirit, then here—full of God’s grace and power. Those aren’t compliments. They’re clues. They explain why Stephen’s life carries weight, why his ministry is effective, and why what happens next in Acts flows through him.
What strikes me is that Stephen isn’t an apostle—yet he’s performing amazing miracles and signs among the people. He’s speaking with a wisdom and Spirit that opponents can’t refute. Stephen is living proof that God’s power isn’t reserved for a select few with titles. The same Holy Spirit Jesus promised is at work in ordinary believers who are surrendered and filled.
And I can’t separate that power from Stephen’s humility. He’s willing to be appointed into a role that isn’t centered on being seen, and he doesn’t need to grasp for prominence to be powerful. There’s something about a humble servant that makes room for the Holy Spirit to flow. Not because Stephen earned it—but because he’s not trying to take credit for what only God can do.
So today, I’m asking you what I’m asking myself: Do you need the Holy Spirit to rest on you? Do you need to trust that God can fill you with wisdom, faith, grace, and power so the Kingdom of God spreads where you live? Be encouraged—God can convert the ones you think are unreachable, and He can use believers you might overlook to move His mission forward. Walk in the fullness of Holy Spirit that Jesus provided, and don’t disqualify yourself from what God wants to do through you.