Acts 6:8 - 7:16

Today was a pretty cool day. I listened to an Andy Stanley leadership podcast where he was talking about what you do with the power that God has given to you. To summarize he said to leverage it for the people that are under your influence.



I then was reading in Acts about how Stepehen spoke with such influence. 6:10 "And they were not able to resist the wisdom and the Spirit by which he spoke." then later on Stephen is speaking of the patriachs in Egypt and while speaking of joseph in 7:9-10 "But God was with him and delivered him out of all his troubles, and gave him favor and wisdom in the presence of Pharaoh, king of Egypt; and he made him governor over Egypt and all his house." I am really thinking about the biblical perspective of God being the one who's spirit was speaking through Steven and for Joseph his success was attributed to God's favor. In most of the stuff that I do I attribute my success to the 'gifts' that God has given me and not to God himself. I don't think of when I speak really well that God was really speaking through me I think that I prepared and focused really well. Especially when I hear other people who are incredible pastors speak I rarely think wow the holy spirit is really speaking through that person. I think wow he is really good.

I pray that my perspective of not just when I speak, but my entire life would be attributed to the power of the holy spirit. That peoples lives would become transformed as his word and his spirit appeals to hearts and I would learn to not try and take credit or blame for the work of the spirit.