Daily Encouragement
“Then after fourteen years, I went up again to Jerusalem, this time with Barnabas. I took Titus along also.” – Galatians 2:1
Dear Friends,
This Sunday, we’re going to look at a passage from the book of Galatians (I realized in all my time at CUPC, I’ve never preached a series on this amazing letter… might have to rectify that one day…) – and among other things, I ran across Paul recounting traveling to Jerusalem with his friend Barnabas.
A small aside – each week at Pine Springs Camp, and for each age group/type, there is a “Barnabas Award” given out, to the camper that is deemed by the counselors, to be the most encouraging camper – boy and girl – the one who exhibits the characteristics of the name. Barnabas literally means “son of encouragement” (Acts 4:36).
Anyway, Barnabas ends up being one if not the most frequent partners of Paul throughout his missionary journeys. He plants churches, returns to churches, admonishes churches and even… encourages churches, often with the help of his friend, deemed to be a “son of encouragement.”
I think it’s easy to see why Barnabas is such an integral traveling partner of Paul – because when you’re doing hard work, you need encouragement! You need to be surrounded by a person, or people, who become a “wind beneath your wings” – who gets you up when you’re feeling down, who can find the silver-lining in the cloud, who exudes calm and confidence, light and life. And honestly, not just when we’re traveling. We need this all the time!
That’s what this message is meant for each Wednesday. It’s meant, actually, to be a little Barnabas for you. It’s meant to lift you up, to be a reflection of the son-shining in your life. It’s meant to encourage you and point you to the God, who in Jesus Christ, so fully and completely poured out love on us.
As always, it’s imperfect. And there may be days, weeks or long months where you read it and think “huh?” or where you don’t even read it at all. I mean, Barnabas wasn’t perfect – he and Paul actually had a significant disagreement that caused them to not travel together for awhile. That happens in life. None of us, no matter how much we try, can provide the kind of perfect, genuine encouragement that only Jesus is. But Paul and Barnabas also reconciled – providing us again, a model of how we can live this kingdom life, through the Spirit here and now.
Friends, we need encouragement, regularly. And I invite you to consider how you can continue to reflect the love of Jesus, by encouraging those around you – in your home, on your street, at your workplace and beyond.
And… taking that encouragement a step further – consider who and how God might be inviting you to reconcile with, so that the true encouragement of Christ, might be lived out more fully, and experienced more broadly!
Welcoming You to Grow in Jesus – by way of encouragement,
Pastor Don