“Making Room for Others”

​Daily Devotional – Wednesday, July 27, 2022

“Encourage each other and build each other up.” (1 Thessalonians 5:11a, NLT)
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Many of us could stand to be a little more like Joseph, nicknamed ‘Barnabas,’ which means ‘son of encouragement.’ Acts 4 records how Joseph generously sold a piece of property he had and brought all the money from the sale to the apostles for the care of the poor in the Jerusalem church. His act of generosity was notable enough to be recorded by Luke. It was truly the act of a faithful follower of Jesus and his gift is a challenge to modern day believers…would we ever choose to be so generous? Does the nickname ‘Barnabas’ apply to us?

Now, before anyone makes the excuse that they are unable to be a ‘Barnabas’ due to lack of money/property, let me point out that Joseph wasn’t just generous this one recorded time, but rather lived a life of generosity. He was constantly looking for ways to encourage others, to provide for needs and to assist others in reaching their potential. He was a man who had experienced the forgiveness of Jesus and believed that all deserved a second chance.

Rather than ignoring the needs of others, he actively got involved, looking for ways to tangibly relieve others’ suffering (Acts 4).

He stuck his neck out for others. After Paul had his lifechanging experience with Jesus, he found it difficult to prove to the other believers that he was indeed a changed man. Who could say whether his transformation was genuine or just another means of infiltrating the Church? Joseph didn’t hesitate. He found Paul and provided the necessary introductions and character reference to the church leadership, after which time Paul was able to gain acceptance as an apostle (Acts 9).

Joseph included others in opportunities, actively filling the role of mentor. When he was given the task of assisting the new church in Antioch, he deliberately went and sought the help of Paul, who had been sequestered in his hometown of Tarsus during a time of persecution. He recognized that Paul had the gifts for just such an opportunity (Acts 11). Later, when Paul and Joseph were set-aside for special assignment, John Mark, Joseph’s younger relative, was brought along as an assistant (Acts 13).

Unfortunately, John Mark ended up quitting the venture early. But in true ‘Barnabas’ fashion, Joseph was determined to give him a second chance. Encouraging others was such a high value for Joseph, that he chose to split from Paul, his longtime friend, in order to encourage this young man (Acts 15). Paul may have been adamant in his rejection of John Mark as an assistant initially, but later came to recognize the wisdom in Joseph’s decision to give him another shot (2 Timothy 4:11).
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We should all strive to be like Joseph as a disciple of Jesus. Actively looking for ways to encourage others, making room for them to enter into the life of discipleship with us, cheering on the underdogs and meeting the needs of others as we are able.
Pastor Jane