You Need an Encourager
‘Where shall I find courage?’ Frodo asked. ‘For that is what I need most.’ – J.R.R. Tolkien
A Barnabas is an encourager…not a flatterer
A Barnabas is constantly saying…way to go!
A Barnabas gives you permission to fail
A Barnabas puts the wind in your sails
A Barnabas is a lit candle in a dark room
The story of the conflict between Paul and Barnabas over John Mark is found in Acts 15:35-41. Barnabas was a respected leader within the early church. When the apostles were wary of Saul, Barnabas vouched for him; when Paul was fed up with John Mark, Barnabas gave the young man another chance.
Do you have a Barnabas – someone to pick you up? Someone to gives you permission to fail? Remember, a Barnabas is an encourager, not a flatterer. And, to whom are you a Barnabas? To whom do you regularly speak word that put wind into their sails?
We all need two kinds of handlers…or what Sweet calls ‘withnesses’. We need the fist and the palm. The fist-handler is your Nathan, someone to sort you out when you need to be corrected. The palm-handler is your Barnabas…someone to give you strokes, to pat your back, to cheer you on, and to feel your pain. The word “feel” derives from the roots meaning ‘palm of
the hand’.
There will always be moments of weakness…of compromised resolve… in each of us. When this happened to John Mark, Paul lost faith in him and discarded him, but Barnabas gave his young cousin another chance. Paul took Silas and went off in one direction…Barnabas took John Mark and went off in another. Only later did Paul realize the error of his ways and reconcile with John Mark, even asking the younger man be present at his death.
Journal Questions:
Can you think of a time when a ‘withness’ encouraged you? Who was it? What did that look like for you?
Do you have a comfort food? Why is it a comfort food for you? Do you have a comfort friend?
The ancients believed that ‘the self’ emerged from the activities of the heart. Are you open to a change of heart? What opens your heart to change? Who encourages you in that process?
What things are you allowing to be poured into your heart?