"Now when they heard these things they were enraged, and they ground their teeth at him" Acts 7:54

The members of this council were not fond of Stephen. They cornered him, seized him, and questioned him.

Before I knew Jesus, and before the Father was Abba to me, I was like these council members. They were instigators, prideful, quickly offended, and looking for a fight.

When Stephen was questioned he gave an overview of what God had done in Israel's history. He then pointed at them, telling them that they were like their fathers who persecuted the prophets of the LORD and that they resisted His work in their lives. He told them that when they murdered Jesus, the One who came to fulfill the law that so haughtily claimed as their own.

They responded in rage. Their pride was rubbed the wrong way and their numb consciences were irritated. These council members were fighters. They wanted to be right, and when God used a "foolish" person to confound them, they pushed away. They did not want to please God, they wanted to be right.

This has been my problem since I could talk. Usually I'm not looking to learn or to grow I'm looking to be smart and right.

I have to teach myself not to be offended. When I'm confronted I need to not show anger, even if my blood boils. I need to have a Spirit of meekness. I need to accept and look only at myself to judge if what they say is true.

In times of trouble, it is not the strongest or smartest who do well, but the most willing to learn and change.

In contrast to this council, I also need to be a peacemaker. Not someone who looks for fights, or disputes, but a person who seeks diligently opportunities to bind the people of God together.

"Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the sons of God".