DO YOU SEE YOURSELF AND YOUR CAPABILITIES AS GOD DOES?

BIBLE PASSAGE:
“And they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit.” 
(Acts 6:5)

MEDITATION:
If someone is looking for a genuine Christian, 
what qualifications do you have that would cause them to choose you?
A lot of people have the wrong idea about what it means to be a Christian.
“I go to church” “I have read the Bible” 
“I am good to other people” “I am an honest person” 
While all of these are good qualities, 
they fall short of qualifying a person as a Christian.

We see two qualifications the apostles found in Stephen 
when selecting men to wait on tables 
and carry out administrative-type duties.
With Stephen and six other men taking care of these duties, it would
free up the other apostles for fasting, praying and preaching the Word.

The apostles considered all tasks important 
and looked for men of spiritual character.
They wanted men for these tasks 
who lived by faith and were driven by the Holy Spirit.

We see that Stephen was willing to serve in whatever capacity was needed, 
even if it was in a ‘behind the scenes’ capacity.
We need to understand and remember 
that God does not call anyone to mediocrity.
Every form of service God calls a person to fulfill is important.

Not only that, but when we prove capable of humbling ourselves 
and serving in what might seem to be a menial effort, 
it could be preparation for Him to call us to serve in greater capacities.
When we look at Stephen’s life, we see him in a couple of stages of growth.

First, we see him as a man selected to wait on tables, 
then we see him as a man full of power. 
The book of Acts gives us a glimpse of Stephen's transformation: 
“Now Stephen, a man full of God’s grace and power, 
performed great wonders and signs among the people.” (Acts 6:8)

When God looks at us, He sees us as we can be, 
as we were created to be, and as He has called us to be. 
He sees our inadequate condition, but He looks beyond that; He knows how 
we can be the anointed and powerful men and women He’s called us to be.

In order to advance to a higher calling, we must continually die to self. 
We need to get a glimpse of how God sees us, 
and allow the Lord to truly be the Lord of our life.
Many have failed to serve the Lord because they could not 
look past their own view of themselves and their capabilities, 
to consider the Lord’s view of them.

ACTION:
Have you failed to become usable by the Lord 
due to your own concept of your limited capabilities?
Don’t ever underestimate how the Lord can use you, 
and never forget His desire to call you to serve Him in some capacity.

Pray,
“Heavenly Father, thank You for seeing much more capability in me than 
I see in myself. Help me to die more to self so that You can fill me 
more with Your Holy Spirit. Teach me to humble myself enough to serve 
in whatever area You call me to serve. Help me to overcome any hang-ups 
that prevent me from serving You. Create in me a desire to be used by You.”