Barnabas People - Pt 1

Now the full number of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and no one said that any of the things that belonged to him was his own, but they had everything in common. And with great power the apostles were giving their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all. There was not a needy person among them, for as many as were owners of lands or houses sold them and brought the proceeds of what was sold and laid it at the apostles' feet, and it was distributed to each as any had need. Thus Joseph, who was also called by the apostles Barnabas (which means son of encouragement), a Levite, a native of Cyprus, sold a field that belonged to him and brought the money and laid it at the apostles' feet. (Acts 4:32-37 ESV). In Luke’s early account of the church he tells us of a man named Joseph. He further says, “he was also called by the apostles Barnabas (which means son of encouragement)” (v. 36). It seems to me that we could use more of these individuals in our world. “Encouragement” is an interesting word. By definition it is a noun meaning “the action of giving someone support, confidence, or hope.” Some synonyms are “heartening, cheering up, inspiration, motivation, stimulation, fortification, support, persuasion, urging, and pep-talk.” Perhaps the most interesting factoid about this word is that its use has been on the decline since the 1850’s so much so that it is used less than half the time it once was.

Yet encouragement from another person is one of the most powerful forces in our lives. Encouragement is important because it is life-altering. Encouragement goes straight to the heart. In fact, the word itself comes from a combination of the prefix “en” which means “to put into” and the Latin word “cor” which means “heart.” Encouraging words do not need to be some profound philosophy or grandiose act. All you need to do is to be able to see when someone needs you and be there with the right words to boost his or her self-esteem. Comforting words of encouragement and inspiration are many times, the best means to help someone feel better. This is the essence of being “Barnabas people.” In the next few days we’re going to explore being these encouragers, Barnabas people. I am convinced that we have lost that concept for the most part in our “participation trophy” culture. When you are awarded for merely participating there is no compelling reason to excel. The fear of failure then becomes a powerful obstacle in our lives. Our hope leaks away and discouragement sets in. When this happens we need an infusion of hope. That’s what encouragement is. Barnabas went around giving people hope-infusions, which helped them keep fighting the fight of faith. We need Barnabas people. We need to be those people of faith.