Joseph of Cyprus was a member of the early church. The name people used more often and most memorable was Barnabas. His name meant "son of encouragement." He apparently had quite a reputation for encouraging and lifting up others. Maybe that's why he was such a good companion for Paul on his missionary trips. Those journeys were long and hard, with a lot of obstacles and opposition every step of the way. A "son of encouragement" is exactly who I would want in a situation like that.
Everyone, whether they admit it or not, needs a Barnabas, maybe even several of them. Life is tough enough without having to worry about going on alone. It helps to have people in our lives that encourage or lift them up. Not only do we need it in our own lives, others around us need it from us as well. We need to be that "Barnabas" when people around us are going through difficult times. That's one way to live out the command to love each other, and Jesus said that love is the essence of all of God's law. When we are encouragers, we are doing for others what we want them to do for us. And the more encouragement we give, the more we will likely receive.
Think about all the opportunities you have had to encourage someone. When you notice that someone did a good job, do you make a mental note of it, or do you actually tell them? When your spouse or your kids are going through a hard time, do you only get discouraged about how it affects your home-life, or do you take the time to pour encouragement into them? Men, when was the last time you sent your wife flowers for no reason what so ever? Ladies, when is the last time you told your man how much you appreciate the hard work he does? When is the last time you did a favor for a friend out of the blue? When have you INTENTIONALLY tried to create a positive memory for someone else?
We can choose to leave positive memories in the lives of the people that we come in contact with or we can worry only about ourselves and our happiness.
Everyone needs encouragement, not only in difficult times but even when things are going well. We all need to hear positive words daily. Life is comprised of plenty of memories, but we can create good ones for those around us.
Remember, our encouragement can keep those around us going strong.
"We love each other because He loved us first. If someone says, "I love God," but hates a Christian brother or sister, that person is a liar; for if we don't love people we can see, how can we love God, whom we can not see? And He has given us this command: Those who love God must love their Christian brothers and sisters." 1st John 4:19-21
Everyone, whether they admit it or not, needs a Barnabas, maybe even several of them. Life is tough enough without having to worry about going on alone. It helps to have people in our lives that encourage or lift them up. Not only do we need it in our own lives, others around us need it from us as well. We need to be that "Barnabas" when people around us are going through difficult times. That's one way to live out the command to love each other, and Jesus said that love is the essence of all of God's law. When we are encouragers, we are doing for others what we want them to do for us. And the more encouragement we give, the more we will likely receive.
Think about all the opportunities you have had to encourage someone. When you notice that someone did a good job, do you make a mental note of it, or do you actually tell them? When your spouse or your kids are going through a hard time, do you only get discouraged about how it affects your home-life, or do you take the time to pour encouragement into them? Men, when was the last time you sent your wife flowers for no reason what so ever? Ladies, when is the last time you told your man how much you appreciate the hard work he does? When is the last time you did a favor for a friend out of the blue? When have you INTENTIONALLY tried to create a positive memory for someone else?
We can choose to leave positive memories in the lives of the people that we come in contact with or we can worry only about ourselves and our happiness.
Everyone needs encouragement, not only in difficult times but even when things are going well. We all need to hear positive words daily. Life is comprised of plenty of memories, but we can create good ones for those around us.
Remember, our encouragement can keep those around us going strong.
"We love each other because He loved us first. If someone says, "I love God," but hates a Christian brother or sister, that person is a liar; for if we don't love people we can see, how can we love God, whom we can not see? And He has given us this command: Those who love God must love their Christian brothers and sisters." 1st John 4:19-21
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