Master Jesus, take my life.

These were Stephen's 2nd to last words. He uses his last breath to say, "Master, don't blame them for this sin," some of Christ's last words to the Father. The reason I don't think this is a stupid martyrdom is that a young man named Saul is watching it all. With this seed planted by Stephen, Saul would go on to kill lots of other Chirstians and then encounter Jesus on the road to Damascus. Saul may have recognized God's presence because he witnessed Stephen's life of faith and tremendous sacrifice for the cause. At any rate, Saul becomes Paul and writes most of our New Testament. Stephen did not waste his life at all...