Being Barnabas

One of my favorite people in the Bible is Barnabas.  He doesn't have a flashy story, nor does he get much face time in scripture, but the work he did was foundational to spreading the gospel.  The thing I love so much about Barnabas is that he was so encouraging to fellow believers.  His name even means "Son of Encouragement."  He traveled with Paul sharing the good news of Christ and pouring his life out for those who desperately needed a savior.

As the gospel was spreading to the Jews and Gentiles and news reached him, Barnabas made his way to Antioch.  Acts 11:23 tells us that, "When he arrived and saw the evidence of the grace of God, he was glad and encouraged them all to remain true to the Lord with all their hearts.  He was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and faith, and a great number of people were brought to the Lord."  I'm sure that Barnabas was a simple man.  Scripture doesn't tell us much about his life prior to his work with the apostles, but I imagine that he was a humble man who loved others and put their needs before his own.  He saw people through the eyes of God and understood their needs.  He knew how to speak to their hearts so they would be encouraged to press on in their faith and not lose hope, even when things were difficult.  Through his encouragement and love, many people came to know the salvation of Christ.

The kind of encouragement that Barnabas gave was more than just nice words to make his hearers feel good.  Sometimes encouragement means saying the things that are hard to say and even harder to hear. Paul told Timothy to, "Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke, and encourage--with great patience and careful instruction." (2 Tim 4:2)  Sometimes encouragement comes with correction and rebuke, and that is often hard to bear.  No one likes to think that they aren't on the right track to a godly life, but correction, given with love and encouragement, can be exactly what they need to set them back on course.  To correct in this way requires discernment, and I pray for this every day.

I want to be this kind of encourager.  I want to see people through the eyes of God and understand their needs.  Hebrews 3:13 says, "But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness."  There is a very real threat, even for Christians, to be lured away from Christ by Satan.  We can encourage one another by walking through trials together, and by loving each other through the hard times.  When I walk through difficult circumstances, sometimes I need others to remind me that God is still in control and that he will never forsake me.  This kind of encouragement from godly friends is always instrumental in helping me maintain a Christ-centered attitude.    

I want to be like Barnabas to those around me, and I have found that when I pray for opportunities to offer encouragement, God always places someone in my path who needs to be reminded of His goodness of love.  It still amazes me that God would use people like you and me to reach out and be the hands and feet of Christ to others.  Who has God put in your life today that needs your encouragement?