Most everyone has a deep longing to be significant in some way; yet, most of us live in relative obscurity and impact few people. Are we supposed to focus on being significant to a small group of people, such as our family and close friends, or should we hope for something more?
If we were given the choice between preaching to a thousand people or making a disciple of one, which would we choose? Few of us would be comfortable being that preacher, but most of us who follow Christ, hopefully, can see ourselves taking on a single disciple. In the Book of Acts, the Holy Spirit recognized that Barnabas was significant enough to mention several times. His name means encourager, which was his main ministry. He came alongside two men in his his lifetime who were operating in relative obscurity. One was Paul and the other was John Mark. God used Barnabas to help lift those men into major ministries that eclipsed Barnabas’. Paul became perhaps the greatest of all the apostles and the author of much of the New Testament. John Mark wrote one of the gospels and became a faithful co-laborer with both Peter and Paul. We do not know much about anything else Barnabas did in his life. His reward and significance will be forever connected to those he encouraged.
Our own significance probably will be linked to those we help along the way, too.
Barnabas was able to encourage others because he was full of faith. (Acts 11:22-26)
The ministry and art of encouragement hinges on our having faith and vision for people beyond what they currently have for themselves.
With God’s help, parents can see things in their children and help them develop. Husbands and wives can do the same for each other. This is also true for others whom God brings into our lives. If we can let go of our own quest for significance and focus on investing in others, our joy and significance can be increased. Seeing a disciple eclipse us can be viewed as our crowning achievement.
For the majority of us, personal significance will be derived from how well we love, encourage, and develop those around us.
Parents’ most important disciples are their children. The future of the kingdom of God somewhat rests on the shoulders of the upcoming generations. How well parents invest in their children will have a great impact. God blessed my wife and I with four amazing offspring. They have greatly expanded our impact in the world beyond anything we could have done personally. We fully expect their children and grandchildren to keep the chain going.
What if all of us decided to narrow our focus to disciple and encourage at least one person to fulfill his or her calling in God in the coming year? How would that impact the world? Perhaps, as did Barnabas, we can leave an indelible mark on the world through the people we mentor and encourage.
