Acts 6:3  They chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit; . . .  (NIV)

Acts 6:8  Now Stephen, a man full of God’s grace and power, performed great wonders and signs among the people. (NIV)

Acts 6:10  But they could not stand up against the wisdom the Spirit gave him as he spoke. (NIV)

Acts 6:15  All who were sitting in the Sanhedrin looked intently at Stephen, and they saw that his face was like the face of an angel. (NIV)

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Abraham Lincoln reportedly stated that “Every man over forty is responsible for his face.” What led people to describe Stephen as having an angelic countenance? 

Stephen was full of faith and of the Holy Spirit. He was full of God’s grace and power. He performed great wonders and signs among the people. The Spirit gave him wisdom as he spoke. That’s why “they saw that his face was like the face of an angel.”

When Moses spent long hours in God’s presence, he came back with a radiant glow. He had to wear a veil. 

Something shifts when we linger long with our Lord. A softening, an illumination, a gentle kindness take hold of our hearts and minds, our eyes and our expression. 

One of my coworkers was walking through Kroger early one morning before work when a man stopped her and said, “You have been with Jesus.” That is one of the finest compliments I’ve ever heard. 

Maybe it’s Maybelline. Or, maybe it’s Holy Spirit. 

A song from the Newsboys entitled Shine captures something of the Stephen life and lilt:

Shine
Make ‘em wonder what you’ve got
Make ‘em wish that they were not
On the outside looking bored

Shine 
Let it shine before all men
Let ‘em see good works and then
Let ‘em glorify the Lord
(Written by: Steve Taylor and Peter Furler; Album: The Ultimate Collection)

Oh, that we might shine!

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I will linger long in God’s presence so that I might shine for him.

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Our Father, make me more like Stephen. I want to live full of faith and the Holy Spirit. I want to serve in your grace and power. I want wisdom whose only source is you. Place your thoughts in my mind and your words in my mouth. May people see more of you and less of me. Amen.