Good News: Being sons and daughters of encouragement

Have you ever had someone in your life that you always felt better after spending time with them? They never belittled you, always built you up and made you feel like you were their best friend. That’s the classic definition of an encourager. It’s a ministry that every Christian can participate in. You don’t have to be behind a pulpit or be on the payroll of a church’s staff, all you have to do is be encouraging to those around you.

There is a man in the New Testament book of Acts whose name was Barnabas. His name actually means “Son of Encouragement.” He was the one who befriended the church persecutor turned follower of Jesus, Saul of Tarsus, later to become Paul the apostle. Barnabas brought him into the inner circle of the apostles and other followers of Jesus. Saul had put so many believers in prison that none of the apostles and disciples believed that he was now a Christian. It was Barnabas who convinced the early church that Saul had seen the Lord and was boldly preaching Jesus. Barnabas used his gift of encouragement to bring two former enemies together. You and I can still do that today.

Someone once said that the Church is the only army that kills its own wounded. How that must grieve the Lord when that happens. The church should be the place that wounded believers can run to when in need of encouragement, not the place they avoid. We’re the ones who should light up the room for the discouraged in their dark times. Scripture instructs all believers to, “Encourage one another day after day, as long as it is still called “Today,” so that none of you will be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. (Heb.3:13 NASB) According to this verse, one of the reasons that so many believers are being hardened by the deceitfulness of sin is because they are not being encouraged day by day. To be sure, some of the blame goes to believers who refuse to go to church to get encouraged and some of the blame goes to those in church who are not following God’s call to be encouragers. The Holy Spirit must have wanted to really impress this truth on us because just a few chapters later the text says, “We should keep on encouraging each other to be thoughtful and to do helpful things. (Heb. 10:24 CEV) Helpful, as in uplifting words, “Gracious words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones. (Prov. 16:24 NIV)

Barnabus was a son of encouragement and that’s what we are, sons and daughters of encouragement. Sons and daughters of encouragement lift people up with their words, sons and daughters of encouragement are in the restoration business. Sons and daughters of encouragement look for people to encourage. Enjoy your new title!

Ken Staley is the pastor of Faith Church of Pleasant Grove 9:30 a.m. and Harrisville Methodist Church 11 a.m. Both are Global Methodist congregations. You can text Ken at 918-852-9797.