“Therefore, brothers, pick out from among you seven men of good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we will appoint to this duty” (Acts 6:3 ESV).
“On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, ‘If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’ Now this he said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were to receive, for as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified” (John 7:37-39 ESV).
Are you feeling fat from Thanksgiving? The holiday, I mean. Not the actual act of giving thanks to God.
Many of us will feel fat during the holidays. Fat from too much turkey, too much shopping, too much spending and even too much time with… your brother-in-law (think the Griswolds). As Americans, we have trouble doing anything in moderation. We tend to eat, spend and consume… too much.
But there is a fullness that God loves to see in us, a filling that makes us F.A.T. in a way that overflows with life and joy. There is a fullness that comes from living a life of thanksgiving, a life that is marked by three spiritual attributes (F.A.T.):
- F – Faithful – Dependable, reliable, trustworthy. God is looking for one who He can trust as a conduit of His grace. A steward who faithfully uses God’s gifts of time, talent and treasure for the Kingdom of Heaven.
- A – Available – One who shows up when needed. God cares more about our availability than our ability. He made us, so He can give us ability, but He allows us the freedom to choose whether we use those abilities for Him.
- T – Teachable – This is about being humble and easily corrected. God is looking for one who will be quick to obey and also quick to repent when wrong.
When the apostles sought men who would serve God and His people to lead in the feeding of the hungry and guarding the unity of the fellowship, they looked for men that were full of the Holy Spirit, wisdom and faith.
God is still looking for F.A.T. followers. They are the kind of followers that He can trust to let His Spirit flow to and through them to others.
Amen, Pastor Gary!! This is my constant prayer, that I will always be F.A.T., and that my daily life will glorify Him. Humanly imperfect, I want only to be more like Him. I hate that we’re going to miss worship at WCC this Sunday, but will look forward to watching on Vimeo.
God bless!