Stephen’s Courage
The book of Acts paints a picture of Stephen as an ordinary man with extraordinary character, and also as a man with extraordinary courage!
To stand and share his faith like that among those murderous Jewish men… What courage! In fact he sounded a lot like Jesus Himself when he said this to them: "You stiff-necked people! Your hearts and ears are still uncircumcised. You are just like your ancestors: You always resist the Holy Spirit! Was there ever a prophet your ancestors did not persecute? They even killed those who predicted the coming of the Righteous One. And now you have betrayed and murdered him - you who have received the law that was given through angels but have not obeyed it." (Acts 7:51-53)
Who talks like that? Ordinary people with extraordinary faith in the risen Christ, that's who. People of character and courage.
The Courage to Speak Up
A man forgot his wife's birthday until he got to the office and saw it on his calendar. He quickly ran out and, looking across the street, spotted a pet store. He entered and heard a parrot say, "Good morning. Nice day."
The pet store owner got the parrot to say several phrases for the man. The husband thought it would be a great gift for his wife, so he had it sent immediately to his home with a note: Happy Birthday, Darling.
Later that afternoon, he phoned his wife to find out whether his gift had arrived and to discover how she liked it. "Just fine," she answered. "In fact, I've got it in the oven right now."
The husband was astonished, and yelled, "That bird was a talking parrot and could say anything!"
Very sweetly, his wife replied, "If it were such a smart bird, then why didn't it speak up and say something when it had the chance?"
Standing Up When It Counts
I wonder if God looks at us sometimes and says… speak up! Why aren't you speaking up? Your time is running out!
Stephen spoke up while he had the chance. He still lost his life. But he gained much more.
He stood up for his faith, and gained the approval of the God he was about to meet. He stood up for his faith, and gained a place in history as the first Christian martyr. His little slice of earthly life came to an end, but he gained a huge, unending eternal life as he proved himself a real follower of Jesus.
Courage. Stand up for the truth. Stand up for Christ. Tell it like it is. Let them laugh. Let them shake their heads. Let them throw their stones.
Maybe somewhere, Stephen will nod his head in solidarity and say, "Way to go."
Stephen stood before hostile men and spoke with extraordinary boldness, a courage available to any ordinary person filled with faith in the risen Christ.