Fearlessly Courageous
Desk of Dennis Piller
2 14 2024
How does one succeed in life without an encourager…and being one?
I love this first week of our Courageous Men’s study group on Acts speaking about Barnabus’s impact on his Brothers in Christ… He was a consistent encourager to so many. What a great gift to grow in and cultivate in one’s life. Do you have a Barnabus in your life… an encourager?
And equally as poignant, who are you a Barnabus to?
We all know the story of Saul, the persecutor and murderer of Christians, and his amazing conversion on the road to Tarsus. A bright light that blinded him threw him to the ground, and a voice from heaven…”Saul Saul why do you persecute me?” He was struck blind. (Now that will get one’s attention).
But looking at my life, the consequences of some of my actions in life were also brutal and stark. I knew I had failed God and my family. I didn’t need a voice from heaven audibly, nor did I need to be struck blind. I saw my blindness and stupidity in my actions and my thought processes. You must have had some of those circumstances that were so convicting that you knew God had spoken to you about it. Maybe just maybe you had a friend to help you see the light of God’s truth…someone who tried to encourage you and point you to the right path? (Do you remember?)
God sent Ananias to care for Saul, but he was reluctant to do so at first, as he knew Saul’s history of persecuting Christians. However, God urged him, saying, “Go, for this man is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before Gentiles, kings, and Israelites,” (Acts 9:15).
He did as God commanded, restoring Saul’s sight – and baptizing him.
Barnabas, (a nickname meaning encourager), whose real name was Joseph served as a sponsor and mentor for Paul. He introduced him to the Apostles who were reluctant to let him in. It was Barnabas, risking his reputation and position as a church leader, who finally persuaded the disciples to accept Paul (Acts 9:27-28). Barnabas served as an encourager, sponsor, and mentor for Paul.
Barnabas and Paul the Apostle undertook missionary journeys together and defended Gentile converts against the Judaizers, making more converts. If you can imagine two mentors working together to grow in their faith and sharing that with so many. They were accountability partners. We all need other men who will help us toe the line and stay grounded in Christ. We cannot just know that… we must do that!
We need one or two men in our lives so we can tell anything and everything. If we have none or we have men who don’t encourage and ask us the right questions, we need to be on a quest for them. We need to be praying that God will reveal them to you. It may be someone more experienced and mature in their faith or it may be a peer who is growing with you and is committed to walking with you, to be both an encourager and accountability partner and brother to you.
Jesus purposely sent the disciples out in twos. He knew we tend to walk alone and be independent. You must know by now that this is a formula for disaster. How many sad circumstances might we have averted had we had a Christian brother to encourage and counsel us in those times of temptation?
We are starting a new semester of learning and growing. Be praying for who this person in your life is so that you might have someone committed to encouraging and mentoring you but equally be looking for a couple of accountability partners. Relationships take time but with proper time, commitment, and transparency you can grow to the point of being comfortable sharing anything and everything about your life. A true friend!
I promise you spiritual growth and a joy in God you have never known. But it will take sacrifice…time…discipline to push past our fleshly desires to veg out on the couch.
Choose you this day who you will serve. We can all start by becoming an encourager at home. Give yourself away…every day. Pray for your family, pray for God to reveal an encourager in your life. Pray that you will be a good student and learn to be an encourager to those around you
by the power of His Holy Spirit.
God of all my days. Casting Crowns
