Acts 7:60
And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep.

What a heart for his people that Stephen had. He only wanted them to accept and understand the truth about Jesus, no matter the cost. Even as they stone him to death, he pleads for mercy for them, not himself. This kind of selfless sacrifice seems rare nowadays. We’ll give to others as long as it doesn’t cost us too much. We’ll desire for others to be saved as long as we don’t have to get hurt in the process, don’t have to give too much of ourselves or our time, don’t have to bleed for them.   But Stephen’s final moments on Earth are a great example to us that we can emulate in our lives today.

Stephen’s full confidence was in the Lord. He believed everything that Jesus had taught, everything that He meant to the Jews with his whole heart. He spoke the truth and then was willing to stand for it, to face whatever consequences there would be from proclaiming the Gospel. He lived with a fear of God and not of man, and that enabled him to give his life for Christ’s sake. Do we have that same confidence? Are we living it out in our lives today or just kind of getting by with only the faintest sense of the truth and what it means to be a follower of Christ?

Stephen also demonstrated a Christlike character. We can’t help but notice the parallel to Jesus’ own words as He died on the cross. Stephen’s concern was for others, not himself. His energy went into serving others, not gaining for himself. His dependence was on God and his focus was obeying Him in all that He had asked of him. Are we being conformed to the image of Christ in our own lives? Are we acting more like Him and less like our old sinful selves? Is our focus in the right place?

Finally, we see that Stephen was ready for heaven. He understood that this life is temporary and that our real lives won’t begin until we get to glory and see Jesus face-to-face. He had peace about dying because he knew Jesus was there waiting to receive him, and how can that ever be a bad thing? If we are true believers, then we have that same hope and peace. We can do whatever God asks of us, not fearing the prospect of death, because we know that heaven is waiting for us and Jesus will welcome us home.

Stephen was full of wisdom, faith, and God’s power upon his life. And that manifested in a peaceful hope but also an earnestness to see others experience that same touch of God on their lives. His example should encourage us to continue on no matter what others may say or do to us. May we live with the same heart of love for the lost, the same abandon to God and His leading, and the same hope that our eternity is secure in our Savior’s hands.