It must be a frightening thing to be persecuted for one's faith or beliefs. Sometimes it seems more comfortable and less painful to remain silent and hidden. Stephen was unafraid, for he received courage and strength from another source. He was filled with God's Spirit. Doing and saying the right thing, and living our faith with integrity, can be a costly and rewarding experience. It is not something we do alone or with our powers - we do it with the Lord and his grace.

The people asked Jesus to tell them what the work of God was. What does God want from us? He gave a very simple and direct answer: believe in the one sent from God - in other words, Jesus himself. In John's Gospel, believing in Jesus was more important than words or beliefs in the various doctrines. It was a total surrender to Jesus and a willingness to draw all of one's sustenance, strength, and inspiration from him.

This requires that one's faith be of the heart and soul, not merely the head. Faith is a verb - it is action and a whole way of life. Jesus promised that for those who do believe in him, he would be heavenly food - he will sustain, nourish, and strengthen them. Allowing Jesus to be our imperishable food also means that we cannot cling to our own opinions, habits, and prejudices, and we have to give up control of our life to him. Let us strive each day to do the work of God, living in Jesus and allowing him to live in and through us.