Son of Encouragement ∙∙
There was Joseph, the one the apostles nicknamed Barnabas (which means “Son of Encouragement”). – Acts 4:36
1 Thessalonians 5:11-18
11 So encourage each other and build each other up, just as you are already doing.
14 Brothers and sisters, we urge you to warn those who are lazy. Encourage those who are timid. Take tender care of those who are weak. Be patient with everyone.
15 See that no one pays back evil for evil, but always try to do good to each other and to all people.
16 Always be joyful.
17 Never stop praying.
18 Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.
An encourager is essentially someone who “inspires with courage.” They infuse others with courage while instilling spirit, hope, and motivation. They are akin to an excellent sports coach who inspires players to believe in themselves and do their best. Such coaches don multiple hats: they are trainers, counselors, confidants, nurturers, guides, leaders, mentors, shepherds, and tutors. Their objective lies not only in developing talent but also in character building.
Based in Austin, Texas, Coach ‘Em Up, LLC is a firm that offers year-round basketball and volleyball programs for elementary and middle school students in the Austin vicinity. Their business is built upon the belief in the positive impact of robust and precise coaching and the comprehension and importance of age-appropriate progression and instruction.
“Be an Encourager: When you encourage others, you boost their self-esteem, enhance their self-confidence, make them work harder, lift their spirits, and make them successful in their endeavors. Encouragement goes straight to the heart and is always available. Be an encourager. Always” (Roy T. Bennett).
“Yelling at living things does tend to kill the spirit in them. Sticks and stones may break our bones, but words will break our hearts . . .” (Robert Fulghum).
In American culture, we might say that an acorn does not fall far from the tree, meaning that one is not that different from one’s parent. It can be expressed, “Kids are like their parents, a chip off the old block; like Father, like son.”
In the Jewish culture, a similar concept is expressed by the phrase “son of.” It highlights the distinctive qualities or characteristics which distinguish a person.
Acts 4:36 Joseph was one of the apostles nicknamed Barnabas, which means “Son of Encouragement.”
Perhaps Barnabas was a natural-born encourager, or maybe he had the spiritual gift of encouragement. He earned the epithet “Son of Encouragement” or “Son of Consolation,” indicative of his positive influence.
Upon closer inspection, the nickname Barnabas reveals some interesting nuances not readily apparent on the surface. The Greek word for encourager or encouragement is parakletos, so we might expect his nickname to be Barparakletos, not Barnabas. But Barnabas is not derived from Greek; rather, it is either Hebrew or Aramaic. Bar, in Hebrew, translates to son, and nabasis a variation of the Hebrew word for prophet.
This is even more confusing because prophets tend to be spokesmen and confronters, not comforters. However, at times, prophets were tasked with providing solace to people. Hence, the name Barnabas encapsulates this dual role of a prophet – comforter and confronter.
Isaiah 40:1-2
1 Comfort, comfort my people, says your God.
2 Speak tenderly to Jerusalem. Tell her that her sad days are gone, and her sins are pardoned.
When children of the King are born again, the Father sovereignly endows them with spiritual gifts. A spiritual gift can be described as a skill or talent that enables one to perform a specific task effortlessly and teach others to do the same. Billy Graham, for instance, had the gift of evangelism. He could easily spread the gospel to others and taught countless people to do the work of an evangelist.
So perhaps what we see in Barnabas is a man transformed from a harsh, confrontive prophet to a soft, tender, gentle, encouraging, comforting prophet.
Barnabas was recognized for his kindness and support towards others (Acts 9:26-27; 11:22-26; 15:37). In this way, he embodies the ideal of a servant-leader. Barnabas demonstrates that he is indeed a true disciple of Lord Jesus Christ, who was the ultimate servant-leader.
The apostle Paul implores each child of the King to encourage and comfort others.
1 Thessalonians 4:18 Therefore encourage one another with these words.
Instead of belittling, criticizing, passing judgment, yelling at, tearing down, or intimidating others, we should set a goal and purpose to “coach ‘em up.”
REFLECT & PRAY
No doubt the “Son of Encouragement” was himself encouraged by the Father. Pause for a moment and consider what it would be like to be mentored by the Father through the work of the Holy Spirit.
Father, encourage me to become a source of encouragement and uplift others in the same manner You have encouraged me.
INSIGHT
Perhaps there’s a message of hope for each one of us here. We’re not bound by what we were born with. The Father has the power to bring about changes that go beyond the natural or normal. He is able to transform a person’s character and personality from the inside out. Every child of the King has the freedom and capacity to let the Father do precisely that for us. We are capable of becoming whatever the Father wants us to be. The Father has a beautiful dream for each of His children.
Take for instance, John and his brother James. At the beginning of the Gospels, they were referred to as the sons of thunder (Mark 3:17). They were known for their quick temper, zeal, and ambition. They were demanding, passionate, fiery, intolerant, brash, reckless, stubborn, and impulsive. They were ready and willing to call down fire on the Samaritans.
Luke 9:54-56
54 When His disciples James and John saw this, they said, “Lord, do You want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them?”
55 But He turned and rebuked them, and said, “You do not know what kind of spirit you are of;
56 for the Son of Man did not come to destroy men’s lives, but to save them.”
How amazing, this same John became known as the Apostle of Love.
We observe a remarkable change in John. He is transformed from a reckless, quick-tempered son of thunder to the beloved disciple. His gospel is filled with his profound love for Lord Jesus Christ, and his epistles even more so. Initially, he wasn’t characterized by such love and compassion. This love wasn’t innate; it was cultivated. It was not the product of nature but rather nurture. He acquired it from time spent with the Lord Jesus Christ on earth and decades of walking with Him. The perfect servant-leader coached ‘em up.’
James 1:19-20
19 But everyone must be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger;
20 for the anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God.
Treat a man as he is, and he will remain as he is. Treat a man as he can and should be, and he will become as he can and should be (Stephen R. Covey).
¯\_(ツ)_/¯ 7-31-1
© Dr. H 2024
Dr H Reflections 