“Those who refresh others will themselves be refreshed.” — Proverbs 11:25b
Four weeks ago, my 93-year old Nana, went to be with our Lord in eternal paradise. She was a true matriarch of our family who thoroughly enjoyed her crossword puzzles — she completed them faithfully, every day. While preparing for her funeral, my mom asked me to send her adjectives that I thought would describe my grandmother; they wanted to put together a “Nana crossword” in her memory. As I’ve thought about how my Nana will be remembered by us (with such favor), I’ve been asking myself how I think my life will be remembered?
In light of that thought, it can certainly be convicting to look at the lives of specific men and women of the Bible. There are so many people who we have heard and read about over and over. Those who were changed, used, and moved along by the Holy Spirit. One man in particular has been on my mind lately.
In the book of Acts, we see a man named Joseph. He is a Levite from Cyprus, whose life and actions speak so clearly that the apostles called him by a completely different name. We now know him as Barnabas, which means “son of encouragement” (Acts 4:36). Talk about a cool nickname! Proverbs 22:1 says, “A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches, and favor is better than silver or gold.” What are you known for? What nickname would others give you? What adjectives will be in your life’s crossword puzzle?
I have always wanted to be like Barnabas. I would love to be a man who is quick to encourage and uplift, to think of others more than myself. To give abundantly without considering myself. But, if I’m honest, that is not who I usually am. To my shame, there have been multiple times that I have come to the end of a week and realized that I hadn’t thought about anyone but me (and my needs and problems) each and every day.
Barnabas, however, was the opposite of this. According to Acts 11:25, he went out of his way to find Saul, a man who was terrorizing and imprisoning Christians. Barnabas put himself in possible danger to comfort and encourage this young man in his newly-found Christian walk. Paul (formally Saul) became the greatest missionary this world has ever seen. Again, in Acts 15, Barnabas stuck his neck out for John Mark, vouching for him before Paul (even after Mark had abandoned them on a previous trip). Barnabas truly was a “son of encouragement.”
It goes without saying that we all have gone through difficult times. Perhaps you are in that season right now? When I have found myself in a trying time, by God’s grace, I have had a Barnabas or two come alongside me. I also know that I have had selfish expectations that certain people would be there for me for in that way as well. Reflecting on this, I have come to realize that we never truly know what someone else is going through. We don’t know their perspective, feelings, needs, or hurts. But, we don’t really need to know in order to choose to go out of our way to love and encourage them.
If I want to be more like Barnabas, I must first understand the encouragement that is available to me in Christ (Philippians 2:1). I then need to humble myself and “count others more significant than [myself]” (Philippians 2:3-4). I don’t need to wait around for someone to say something nice to me so that I can in turn say something nice to someone else. If I truly realize that “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” (Acts 20:35), then I can become a true source of grace in other’s lives. I’m freed from what I’m needing or wanting in those moments. And, as we refresh and encourage others, we will be refreshed.
I don’t think Joseph was a “super-encourager” because he wanted his name to be changed to Barnabas. I think he loved Jesus so much so that it flowed out of him; he simply loved and encouraged others. In the same way, as we grow in our love for Jesus, we can become a giver and not a taker. We can be an encourager, not a discourager.
Now, wouldn’t that produce a nice crossword puzzle?
Let’s all strive to be a Barnabas!
Posted in A Word from the Pastor