Acts 9

Verse 2-3, "So the Twelve gathered all the disciples together and said, 'It would not be right for us to neglect the ministry of the word of God in order to wait on tables. Brothers, choose seven men from among you who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will turn this responsibility over to them.'"

A moment of truth...will the disciples stay true to their calling from God or will they follow the wishes of men with an urgent need? They are completely sold out to their calling; they refuse to give into this other area that will prevent them from doing what God wants. They are very smart in that they don't ignore the need, they empower others to meet that need. The people they choose are "known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom." In other words they are spiritually mature. There's a discernment process and they choose people who understand what it is that God is seeking to do in the early church. They pray over them and set them free to serve in incredible ways.

This situation arises on a regular basis for me. People will ask me to start a new ministry or to focus on an urgent need that they see in our church or in our community. This is a great model for leading and staying focused on what God wants me to stay focused on in my calling, but still responding to a need. When a need is presented the answer doesn't have to be no, it can be - find seven people who are known to be full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom. That's a pretty good starting point.