Be an Encourager

Unity among believers in the church is so important, the concept shows up in almost all of Paul’s writings in the New Testament.

As the early church started about 2,000 years ago, a unified body of Christians was essential for survival, growth, ministry to each other and to the world, and to glorify God. It continues today as well.
Even though we Christians are unified around the salvation we have in Jesus, and the hope we share of spending eternity with Him, there is diversity among us believers that Paul explained in 1 Corinthians 12. Those diverse “parts of the body” of believers are divinely intentional for different roles or duties in the church which when all are used, put together one well functioning unified body, ministering to people. We are to embrace those God-given differences and encourage them.

Today, our society can be characterized as selfish and greedy. Since we Christians are not of this society, but the society of God’s Kingdom, we are to live a more excellent way…to love others (to paraphrase 1 Corinthians 13). Our culture insists “it is all about me”, which is the opposite of one of the main tenants of true Christianity: “it is all about Christ, and loving others”.

When it is “all about me”, there is no unity, when it is all about Christ and loving others, there WILL be unity. God designed the church body of believers to help each other, and to grow in Christ. When there is not unity, divisions occur, and ministry of the church diminishes. Where there’s unity, the ministry of the church flourishes.

One way to ensure this unity is to encourage others. Being an encourager is something we have to learn and practice, it rarely comes naturally for us. I believe as Paul matured in his ministry, he focused much more on unity among believers later in his life. He did so because early in his ministry there was an issue where encouragement from Paul was lacking. He did learn from this and became a well-polished encourager (for example, to Timothy and Titus several years later).

We can learn as Paul did about encouragement. In Acts 15: 36-41 Paul insisted that John Mark not go with them on their second missionary journey (for some reason, John Mark left them previously). Because of this, a division occurred amongst the group, and Barnabas took John Mark with him to his home town of Cyprus. Barnabas did so because he could see this hurt John Mark, and he wanted to be an encourager to him. Barnabas is actually his nickname; his real name was Joseph, and Barnabas means “Son of Encouragement”. Several times in the Bible, we read and become very impressed with Barnabas as an encourager.

The encouragement Barnabas gave John Mark had very impressive results! For one, John Mark later wrote the Gospel of Mark. Another is found in Paul’s last words of his last letter, he wrote to Timothy in 2 Timothy 4:11 “Only Luke is with me. Get Mark and bring him with you, for he is useful to me for ministry.” You see, encouragement was the catalyst for forgiveness, reconciliation, and usefulness in ministry!

Being an encourager may mean “going against the grain”, as it did to Barnabas. It may be hard to do, it takes extra effort, and it takes self-discipline to do. But, the results are well worth it. Encouragement means “support that inspires confidence”, “to give hope”, or “to build up”. Isn’t that what Christians that are part of a unified body of believers do?! So find someone that needs encouragement, and support them, inspire them, and give them hope. Endeavor to gain the nickname “Encourager” as Barnabas (Joseph) did. You will be showing love to others, unifying our church, and creating usefulness of that individual as an integral part of the ministry of the church.