Of time in the presence of God

We see in Acts 6 that the apostles had to choose those who were called the first deacons. There were disputes between Greek Jews and Hebrew Jews about an injustice in the food distribution system. The apostles decided to appoint certain men to manage this task so that the distribution of food could receive the necessary attention while leaving the apostles to continue to apply themselves "to prayer and to the ministry of the word" (v. 4).

The apostles said : "Therefore, brethren, choose among you seven men of good witness, full of the Holy Spirit and of wisdom" (v. 3). Giving food was a simple and subordinate task, yet the apostles felt that being filled with the Holy Spirit or directed by Him was a necessary qualification to handle this simple work wisely.

Let's compare this with some of our recruitment practices in our churches today. When we select people to work as professionals in a department, we often look first at qualifications and training. People who have graduated from the pastoral school become first-class candidates to lead the people of God, often without anyone first discerning whether these potential leaders show any evidence that they are controlled by the mind. Then, candidates may undergo a battery of psychological tests to see if they are fit for a ministry, as if science was the deciding factor regarding wisdom. But in the New Testament Church, even the work of distributing food to widows required Holy Spirit-controlled and wise-minded leaders.

If all believers were filled with the Holy Spirit, if all members of the congregation were controlled by the Spirit, the apostles would not have specified such a qualification. In fact, it would have been simply ridiculous. Imagine them saying : "Choose seven people who breathe" ! However, being a Christian does not necessarily guarantee that we live a life controlled by the Spirit. For this we must spend time in the presence of God, until we are "clothed with power from on high" (Luke 24:49).

Jim Cymbala