But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked up to heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God.  “Look,” he said, “I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.” At this they covered their ears and, yelling at the top of their voices, they all rushed at him,  dragged him out of the city and began to stone him. Meanwhile, the witnesses laid their coats at the feet of a young man named Saul. While they were stoning him, Stephen prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.”  Then he fell on his knees and cried out, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” When he had said this, he fell asleep.

Acts 7:55-60

I’m not sure who said it, but a pastor or author once noted that “when a person gets bumped they spill whatever they are full of.”

What happens when you are bumped? How easy is it to move from peace to turmoil? For most of us, it is not too uncommon to be affected by our circumstances, but Christ promised more as we abide in Him.

The kind of peace Jesus promised to each of us is deeper than our current circumstances and one of the best examples of this kind of peace is found in the life of Stephen when he faced more than persecution. He faced death for preaching the Resurrected Christ.

While the council was enraged and began the grind their teeth, Stephen was “full of the Holy Spirit”, but this isn’t unusual for Stephen.

When he was described at the beginning of his confrontation with the religious leaders in the sixth chapter of Acts we read that he was –

• full of faith and the Holy Spirit (Acts 6:5)
• full of grace and power (Acts 6:8)
• speaking compellingly with wisdom through the Spirit (Acts 6:10)
• so full of the Spirit that his face was like an angel’s (Acts 6: 15)

Imagine standing before your enemies and having a face like an angel instead of a scowl or red-faced bluster. Although he only occupies parts of two chapters in the New Testament, Stephen’s life shines as an example of the peace that passes understanding.

So what if you are bumped later today? What will spill out?