Chapter 13 is the beginning of Paul's ministry journeys. As I sat down to begin writing for this post, God reminded me of something that I'll share in a moment. But first, I'll share what I learned from this chapter. We know so much about Paul, but I'd like to take a look at Mark, also called John Mark and Barnabas.
Some people would see Mark as a weak link in this missionary journey. We can see some similarities of Mark's character from what he says about himself in the gospel of Mark. Mark is probably the nameless young man who fled in panic when Jesus was arrested (Mark 14:51-52). And here in Acts 13, Mark, for unknown reasons leaves during this first missionary journey. We learn that maturity comes from a combination of time and mistakes. Mistakes are not usually as important as what we learn from them. Effective living is not measured as much by what we accomplish as by what we overcome in order to accomplish it. Encouragement can change a person's life.
I learned that Barnabas was one of the first to sell his possessions to help the Christians in Jerusalem. As his name indicates, Barnabas was an encourager and was one of the most quietly influential people in the early days of Christianity. Encouragement is one of the most effective ways to help. Barnabas' life shows us that sooner or later, true obedience to God will involve risk.
As I sat down to write this post, God reminded me of one situation I was in a couple of years ago. I was going to numerous graduation parties and as usual, I visited with many people. This particular party we had to drive over a half an hour to attend and it was raining, like cats and dogs. So most people were crammed into the garage, trying to avoid getting soaked. One lady sought me out. I saw her speaking to several other guest throughout the evening, and eventually, she made her way to me. We simply talked about life. This particular lady, has a background in theology, and in my opinion seems to "have it all together". I've learned so much from her. But this evening, the story/stories I shared ministered to her! And she thanked me! She thanked me that I could help her see her own situation through a different lens.
This chapter began for me as a struggle, because I simply did not see what God wanted me to see. So, I prayed for understanding. God reminded me of this particular moment where I was an encourager to someone I would consider a "Paul". She has far more knowledge and experience in theology than I'll ever have, yet, I provided the much needed encouragement she needed to move forward.
I think I can be a bit like Mark, and flee when things get difficult. I've become stronger and wiser through all of these moments of weakness. And so many people say I'm strong! And I could write a few more stories about encouragement, because God led me down memory lane, but what I learned is that God is using me in places I hadn't recognized. I needed to get to a point that I trusted that God was using me, in the quite places that go unnoticed. But there are people I don't even remember who God has placed in my path who I've given that thread of encouragement to keep going. I've taken off their glasses, and allowed them to see through mine. It looks differently and it gives others a new light.
