A few Sundays ago I heard a very inspiring message that will stick with me for the rest of my life. I usually don't discuss Bible lessons on here, but I think this could potentially change your life as it did mine.
Most of the Bible heros that we hear about are the ones who are front and center. There are the war heroes and the kings and priests, the people you can't help but notice. But you rarely hear about the ones behind the scenes; the ones who encouraged the little boys to become war heroes. Barnabas was one of those.
God didn't use him to build a boat to save mankind and he didn't give him five stones to defeat a giant. Instead he gave him a heart of love and compassion and the ability to speak encouragment in every situation. This gift may seem minute to many but it shouldn't be overlooked.
Barnabas' name meant 'son of encouragement' and he lived up to it. He played a very important role in the life of a very important man. Remember the story of Paul before his damascus road conversion? His original name was Saul. He was a man who persecuted Christians for their beliefs. The Christians feared him. Everyone knew who he was and they knew he would have them stoned if he caught them in an act of worship. But then he changed.
God changed Saul's heart and his name. He became Paul and he became a man of God. But the church was still afraid of him. Paul wanted to reach out to them, but he had ruined his reputation. However, Barnabas knew that what God had done in him was real. Acts 9:26-30 tells the story. Barnabas stood before the church and told them that he knew Paul was truly a changed man. It was because of Barnabus that Paul was able to reconcile with the Jerusalem church. Because Paul was able to reconcile with the Jerusalem church, he was able to minister to the Gentiles.
It is because of Barnabas that the majority of us know of the love of Jesus Christ today. It is because of the man who stood in the background. It is because of the man whose calling in life was to encourage others.
You don't have to be a Pastor or a Revolutionary to change history. You don't have to have a doctorate from the best university and you don't have to be the strongest and best at anything. What God asks of us is to carry his heart of love and to encourage those around us. Sometimes God will use that to put you in a ministry. If that's His desire for you then so be it. You don't have to start big. Just a few encouraging words to the most undeserving person could change history in a way that you may never know.
