Acts 11:23 When he arrived and saw what the grace of God had done, he was glad and encouraged them all to remain true to the Lord with all their hearts. 24 He was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and faith, and a great number of people were brought to the Lord.
Everyone needs encouragement! Barnabas was all about that! His name even means encourager. He had eyes to see. BUT, the most fascinating part to not overlook is what he saw. He saw what the grace of God had done. That was the source of his encouragement. From there his encouragement was limitless, because God is ‘full’ of grace and truth. He cannot be emptied of it! He leveraged all that God was and is and has to offer for the good of his brothers and sisters in Christ.
And the cool thing…when he did it people in great numbers chose to follow Jesus! His encouragment had a direction. Any purpose with value is directed toward Jesus!
Are your eyes on Jesus today? He alone is the source of the encouragement that you need.
I love the ministry of encouragement. I think that is the single most important thing we can do for others…and it’s alot more than just words. It involves awareness, insight, communication, understanding, risk, courage, I could go on and on. Who knows what tragedy could next be avoided if we take the time to encourage our fellow sojourners on oftentimes tough path of life.
How to encourage
http://howtoencourage.blogspot
what a great word Kay! Thanks for adding value and ‘encouragement.’