March 8. Acts 7. Phil Bruns

Am I Resisting The Spirit?

My goodness! Has there ever been someone filled with the Spirit as Stephen was in his speech to the Sanhedrin? Come on, Stephen!

With a march through the old testament, Stephen plainly spells out a history showing resistance and rejection. Attacking their spiritual sensibilities by centering his speech on men who the Sanhedrin held in high regard, Stephen lays out an example of example how their ancestors had resisted God time and time again. Then, if that had not gotten their attention, Stephen draws a clear tie to how they were also resisting and rejecting Jesus. “You stiff-necked people, with uncircumcised hearts and ears! You are just like your fathers: you always resist the Holy Spirit!” Stephen said. He was emphatic.

Recorded as the first martyr, Stephen is stoned to death as the listeners turned vicious. They had rejected God, the Son, the Spirit, and now Stephen. Stephen’s spirited campaign inspires me. With biblical wisdom, he turns the Sanhedrin’s own religious history into the cause of Jesus. He spells it all out plainly, allowing the space for the audience to be convicted. It also gives me pause.

I wonder am I resisting God’s work in my own life? Am I resisting the Spirit? Or am I justifying my fears or encouraging bitterness by manipulation of facts or thoughts? I believe that God is always at work in my life. His effort didn’t stop at my baptism. The longer that I am a Christian, the more I see my need for God’s mercy. As I continue to grow and move forward spiritually, I often face the hard truth of my weaknesses, demons, fears and insecurities, and sinful nature. This exposure is hard and tangles me up inside. I always have the choice to face it with an intention to grow or resist and hope it goes away, rejecting God’s hope for me to grow in Him.

At times, the growth path is harder, but growth is the path God wants for us. As we grow as disciples, we will see ourselves becoming a brighter light for those around us. Grow by giving, not rejecting growth. Grow by loving, not resisting. Grow with help from others in the grace of God. God has great dreams for us if we can embrace his plan even when it includes hard truth.