15 MAY

BE AN ENCOURAGER

“…And they sent Barnabas to Antioch. When he came and saw the grace of God, he was glad, and he exhorted them all to remain faithful to the Lord with steadfast purpose, for he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. And a great many people were added to the Lord.”

(Acts 11:22–24)

Barnabas, meaning “Son of Encouragement”, got this name through his actions. He sought out and assisted others, especially new believers, welcomed them warmly, listened to them and was a great help to those around him. It was said that whenever Barnabas encouraged Christians, non-Christians flocked to become believers.

There is always someone around us who needs encouragement.                                                                                                                           Many people tend to criticise more than encourage others. Such people tend to have a bloated self-image of their own competence. Quite often, they justify it that it is the truth, without thinking of the effects on the recipients who could lose self-confidence and become less than they can be.

There may be times to point out someone’s shortcomings but this should be done in love, from a positive point of view, and definitely after we have spent time to build trust through encouragement. Johann Wolfgang von Goethe says: “Correction does much, but encouragement does more.”  John C. Maxwell wrote: “A word of encouragement from a teacher to a child can change a life. A word of encouragement from a spouse can save a marriage. A word of encouragement from a leader can inspire a person to reach her potential.”  

ACTION: Be a bridge! Be an encourager! 

PRAYER: Lord, help me to be more of an encourager than a critic.