“When he (Barnabas) arrived and saw this evidence of God’s
blessing, he was filled with joy, and he encouraged the believers to stay true
to the Lord.” – Acts 11:23
The apostles gave a special name to a man named Joseph. He
obviously had an amazing heart filled with gracious gifts, because they dubbed
him Barnabas, which meant “Son of Encouragement.” What a compliment! He must
have been a huge blessing to the apostles. Sometimes we take the gift of
encouragement for granted. Certainly we’d all love to surround ourselves with
encouragers—and to be one ourselves.
Consider the blessing you receive when someone shares the gift
of encouragement with you. It can change your focus, your outlook, and your
attitude. Remembering that those who encourage you are responding to the
encouragement they themselves have received from God can affect your faith.
Who is the Barnabas in your life? Has God placed you in someone’s
life to be a Barnabas-encourager? There is great strength in the gift of
encouragement!
“So encourage each other and build each other up, just as you
are already doing.” -1 Thessalonians 5:11
Prayer: Lord, we thank you for the encouragers you’ve placed in our
lives and ask you to help us take on that role in the lives of others. We are
most grateful for the constant encouragement we receive from you—the love,
forgiveness, grace and mercy you so freely give! In Jesus’ name, Amen.
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