May 7, 2023

Acts 6: 5 They chose Stephen, a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit. (NIV)

Each of us has only so much mental space. What is filled with frivolity, foolishness, and filth cannot be filled with goodness and godliness.*

You may be a “glass half-empty” kind of person, or you could have a “glass half-full” outlook, but no matter which type you are, you can’t add more to a full glass without displacing some of what’s already in there. If you, like Stephen, are full of faith and the Holy Spirit, you can’t add worry or guilt to your spirit without sloshing out an equal volume of the good stuff.

Likewise, if you are full of negative attitudes and sinful desires, there is no room for faith and the Spirit until you begin to spill out the bad stuff. In Ephesians chapter four, Paul gives some practical tips for emptying the bad and pouring in the good – he calls it putting off the old self and putting on the new. He says to quit lying and start speaking the truth; if you are angry, defuse it before the day is over; stop stealing and perform useful work; replace unwholesome talk with encouraging words; get rid of bitterness, rage, anger, brawling, slander, and malice, and instead be kind, compassionate, and forgiving (verses 25 – 32).

Stephen is later described as “a man full of God’s grace and power.” (Verse 8) He allowed the Holy Spirit to fill his heart until there was no room for anything else. If you are not full of grace and power, what is taking up space in your heart?

It’s not enough to keep the bad stuff out. We’ve got to let the good stuff in.*