“Son of Encouragement”
Welcome to Peniel CrossRoads, where we embrace Jesus’s heart and together live out the call to Christian unity!
There are some people who are a pure JOY to be around. We love being near them because they not only exude a steadying presence, but also a vibrancy and love of life. It is without doubt that those people are how they are because they allow themselves to be regularly filled up with the Spirit of God such that others can’t help but feel encouraged! Their presence and personal qualities fortify us and pass on the courage to love and be loved.
Chris and I have been privileged to know a few precious people like this, and we actually make plans to connect or to visit them—even for a short time—just so we can glean some of that vibrancy and comfort that is truly God-given.
People hungry for God need to surround ourselves with other God-lovers to stay hot in our love for Jesus and to remain humbly dependent on Him.
While reading Building a People of Power: Equipping Churches to Transform their Communities,** I was so impressed with the author’s description of Barnabas, formerly known as Joseph the Levite in the book of Acts, who was given a new name meaning "son of encouragement" [Barnabas]. It was because Barnabas regularly encouraged others, and in my imagination was encouraging to be with, that warranted a new name.
A Jew of elevated heritage, Barnabas was filled with the Spirit of God when he confessed Jesus as Lord, and everything changed for him and those who knew him, because the primary outcome of his life became getting behind others to lift them up.
Barnabas was especially faithful to encourage budding leaders around him. He was the first to see leadership potential in Saul of Tarsus and to advocate for Saul before the leaders in Jerusalem. He was one of the earliest apostles to embrace what the Spirit was doing among the Gentiles, and as such, was the first apostle to go to Antioch when he heard what was happening among the Christ-followers there. It was Barnabas who brought Saul/Paul to Antioch! (Acts 11:25-26) Barnabas was the more prominent of the Paul-and-Barnabas team in early Acts, because he served as a mentor to Paul.
But later, as Paul began to step into God's anointing for him as an apostle for Jesus, Barnabas gladly took a back seat to Paul! (Acts 13:2, 14:1) Linthicum says, "Perhaps one of Barnabas' greatest capacities was his ability to reach out to new people who were otherwise shunned and marginalized by the church."
Barnabas looked for the unexpected future leaders, trained them, and made space for them to lead!! Passing on the gifts he had received to bless others--because a gift given is never for one’s own enjoyment alone—was the joy and delight of Barnabas’ heart. As long as Jesus was lifted up, Barnabas was happy to take second place.
It is God’s desire to encourage every one of us, to fill us up, so that we in turn, would overflow with the encouragement the Spirit gives for the good of others.
We live in a culture that is overly concerned with fame and personal attention. Anyone with a Smart phone can gain followers through Instagram, YouTube or TikTok. The number of likes or followers we have indicates our success.
What if our idea of success wasn’t defined by how many people “like” or follow us, but by how many follow Jesus because of us (even when we weren’t aware that they were being encouraged)? What if our definition of a “good day” was determined by how many people we encouraged TODAY?
May our heart’s desire be more like Barnabas, looking for those we can listen to, build up, and empower with Spirit-love and Life…
“And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.” Hebrews 10:24, 25
Dear Lord, please raise up more Barnabas leaders, who are not focused on how close they are to the "center" but who are getting behind others being called to lead! Make me more like Barnabas, willing to encourage the young, to mentor them and to take risks in letting them lead!
If you would like to join a group of encouragers who regularly support this ministry with prayer, please write to us at connect@penielcrossroads.org. We NEED your prayer support!
**By Robert Linthicum, a Christian community development pastor and leader