Stirring Up Good: A Dead Man’s Walk Worth Living

Scripture

Our verse for today comes from Acts 6:12, “And they stirred up the people, the elders, and the scribes; and they came upon him, seized him, and brought him to the council.”

Background

There was a movie made about twenty years ago that I have never seen called Dead Man Walking. It is the true story about a convicted felon named Matthew Poncelet, who befriends a nun as she helps him unsuccessfully try to get his death penalty sentence reduced to life in prison. After his appeal is denied, the nun agrees to continue visiting him and to be his spiritual adviser until the execution. After finally confessing to the nun and just before the lethal injection, he asks for forgiveness from the victim’s parents and hopes that they will find peace through his death.

About 2,000 years earlier, Stephen also made an appeal that was rejected. But unlike when the group of men came and led Poncelet from his cell, Stephen didn’t realize what awaited him when he was seized by the crowd and was led to the council. Stephen did not know that he, too, was a dead man walking. The group that had been disputing with him was unable to overcome his wisdom in the Spirit and resorted to physical force as a means to have their way. They certainly didn’t know that they were signing Stephen’s death sentence when they stirred up the authorities, nevertheless they set him on the path that brought an end to his life. Stirring things up can do that, can’t they? At first it may start as one thing, but before you know it, something has gotten out of control and the end is very much unlike what you might have expected.

Application

But there is, we know, a good kind of stirring up, too. Our words of encouragement and motivation can lead to wonderful results that far exceed what we had in mind. We do have a choice, despite the fact that we are all in a sense dead men walking – it is appointed to all of us once to die. Dead men walking were announced so others knew that this person had nothing else to lose, so you best beware. We, on the other hand, have nothing else that we can lose, because we have surrendered our life for the life of Jesus. And others should be on notice for that as we try to stir them up to direct their walk toward the glory of their Creator. That’s a walk worth living, and dying, for.

Charge

As we seek Him today, stir up some good as you put some meaning into your walk.

Editor Comment: In a culture quick to stir up outrage, this devotional calls believers to use their influence to stir up good instead, following Stephen's example of a life – and death – surrendered to Christ.