If you've ever watched a boxing match, if you've ever been around a
"Rocky" movie, then you know the scene. Boxer-Man has been punched and
pounded and bruised for several rounds. The bell rings, he staggers to his
corner, his attendants immediately start working on him. They give him
something to drink, they help him get a quick breather, and they give him
a big pep talk. I don't know what they tell Boxer-Man, but I'm sure it's
good stuff. What I do know is whatever they tell him works. Even though
he's banged up, he gets back into the ring for another round!
We live in a world where everybody is taking his or her blows. People you
know often feel beat up, punched around, and even ready to go down for the
count. What may keep them from giving up is someone in their corner who's
giving them what they need to go for another round. I hope that someone is
you.
We've got a stellar example of that in our word for today from the Word of
God. In Acts 4:36, we're introduced to "Joseph...whom the apostles called
Barnabas (which means Son of Encouragement)." Something about this man
made the early Christian leaders think "encouragement." I wonder if that's
what people think when they see you coming. "Here comes encouragement."
All through his appearances in the Book of Acts, Barnabas shows us what an
encourager looks like. In Acts 9, for example, when none of the disciples
wanted anything to do with Saul of Tarsus after he met Christ, (I mean,
they were afraid he was still hunting Christians.) Barnabas was the one
who brought him to them and vouched for him. A Barnabas believes in a
person when no one else will. I hope that's you.
In Acts 11, when God started working among the despised Gentiles, it says
the church leaders in Jerusalem "sent Barnabas to Antioch. When he arrived
and saw evidence of the grace of God, he was glad and encouraged them all
to remain true to the Lord" (Acts 11:23-24). Here's another face of the
encourager. He looks for what God is doing in someone's life and he fans
the flame.
Now lest you think this mission of encouragement is just for a gifted
elite like Barnabas, don't forget that God says to all of us, "Encourage
one another daily" (Hebrews 3:13). So how are you doing? Do you look for
the things a person is doing right? Do you thank them for it? Do you make
a person feel really important when they're with you, or like they're
keeping you from something more important? Do you listen for their heart,
not just their words? Do you look for what God seems to be doing in their
life and then you affirm it to them? Do you look for their strong points
and tell them what you see? By the way, this ministry of encouragement is
one anyone can have and it may be just what you need to get you out of
your own pit of self-focus and self-pity. And your ministry of
encouragement begins first with your very own family. They need it the
most and you're in a unique position to give it to them.
I love that word "encourage." When you do it, you literally put "courage
in" to that person. Someone who may be more battered than you know and
closer to going down or giving up than you could imagine. You never know
when your encouragement might literally be the difference in that person's
life. When you're bruised and when you're hurting, the difference very
well may be the person in your corner who gets back in the ring for
another round. Listen the sound of the bell is about to be rung...more
clearer is the sound of the voice of the One who stands in our corner...He
encourages so that we may do the same.
See you in Church....
Rev. Chuck
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