WHEN THE SON OF CONSOLATION COMES

Dear Believer,

Let us discuss Barnabas today.

This man was a well beloved minister of God who seemed to have mastered the difficult art of getting well along with everyone. As an Apostle, he was liked everywhere there were Christians.

And then there was another man who was also a preacher. He was anointed and had a strong call on his life. Somehow this one wasn’t very well loved among Christians. In fact they were suspicious of him. This was because he had a scary antecedent. He used to persecute and jail Christians before he suddenly declared that he had met Jesus. (Maybe he was only pretending, thought the Christians.) This man was Saul, later known as Paul.

For several years, Paul was preaching but without the massive impact his kind of call deserved. He had experienced rejection again and again. At some point he withdrew to his home town, Tarsus, quietly serving God there. Barnabas got to know about Paul and then did something.

“Barnabas went out to Tarsus to look for Saul. When he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. For a whole year they were gathered together with the assembly, and taught many people. The disciples were first called Christians in Antioch.” Acts 11:25-26.

That Paul’s hitherto localized ministry in Tarsus was brought to limelight and made to be accepted by people at this time was largely due to the benevolence and large heartedness of Barnabas. He was the one who introduced him to the world. When hardly anyone had heard about Paul, Barnabas ‘went out’ of his way ‘to look for Saul’ and brought him to the place where his voice could be heard and where his gifts would be appreciated. In fact, it was at Antioch that Paul was sent out as an Apostle when the Holy Spirit said, “Separate unto me Saul and Barnabas for the work for which I have called them.” Acts 13:2.

When a Barnabas comes into a man’s life, his struggle to be relevant ends. His gifts and voice suddenly becomes needed by a world that has hitherto ignored him.

‘Barnabas’ means ‘Son of Consolation’ or ‘Son of Encouragement.’ While we have many sons of encouragement today among Believers, some others seem to be living as sons of discouragement. They tend to antagonize and run down things that others are doing. They won’t help the struggling, yet won’t leave them alone, but would rather make their ordeal more difficult.  

When a Barnabas comes into a man’s life, his struggle to be relevant ends. His gifts and voice suddenly becomes needed by a world that has hitherto ignored him.

You must decide to be a Barnabas. You must be a lifter of the struggling ones, especially those laboring in the way and work on the Lord. You must also help those who need to grow, and make their life count.
It wasn’t God or an angel that came down to bring Paul out of relative obscurity; it was a man who allowed God to help someone through him.

Some people would look at someone struggling to do something worthwhile for God and say, “If God sent him, he will supply his needs.” That’s one of the statements some people use to silence the voice of the Holy Spirit. What if you are the one God has sent to that person? After all, Barnabas could have also said, “If God called Paul, let Him show Paul to the world…”

Some Believers would rather ‘help’ people who are already well established, who actually don’t need their help. They can leave the hungry person beside them or in their family and send financial help to a thousand miles just to identify with a ‘successful’ ministry or person.

Learn from Barnabas. If this good man had not done for Saul of Tarsus what he did at that time, people would have probably continued to avoid Paul and his ministry would probably not have had such a great impact. Today, which Believer hasn’t Paul’s ministry blessed?

Dear Believer, I am of the opinion that Paul received such a help partly because he prayed for it. Consider this prayer he asked for at a later time:

Now I beg you, brothers, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, that you strive together with me in your prayers to God for me, that I may be delivered from those who are disobedient in Judea, and that my service which I have for Jerusalem may be acceptable to the saints. Romans 15:30-31.

Did you notice the last part of the passage? Paul was asking for prayer that his ministry would be accepted in Jerusalem. This means even your good ideas or ministry that are God-given may be rejected and thrown right back at you if you don’t have divine help and assistance. When Paul was at Tarsus, Barnabas was the help he needed to launch to the next phase of his life and ministry.

Friend, there are two points in my message today. One: you must be a help to someone. That gifted person, or pastor, or church worker or widow has struggled enough. Be the help they are praying for. Commence a ‘labor’ of love for them. If you do this, your own help is on the way.

Two: pray for divine help. Helpers must find you in your own Tarsus and bring you to Antioch and Jerusalem. You need help, too, don’t you?

Let us pray together now.

Dear father we ask for help so that we can be a helper to your children. We receive today the grace to be children of Consolation and Encouragement. We received help today from the Father. Let us be located by our Barnabas in the name of Jesus. Amen.

Sincerely your friend,
Deon.
—-
For further studies, read Act Chapter 11.