It has been said that discouragement is one of the devil’s greatest tools. I agree with that statement. If Satan doesn’t succeed in destroying you, he will settle for keeping you from becoming all that God intends for you to be.

Discouraged people are all around us. Various circumstances of life can bring them down and prevent them from living productive lives for Jesus Christ. They need someone to encourage them to be the best they can be.

Barnabas was a great encourager in the early days of the church. As a matter of fact, his given name was Joseph, but his actions earned him the nickname “Barnabas”, which means “son of encouragement” (Acts 4:36).

Let’s look at how Barnabas lived and see if we can determine what made him such a great encourager.

First, he was outrageously generous. Barnabas sold a field he owned and brought the money to the church leaders so that it could be used to take care of Christians who were in need (Acts 4:32-37). Surely you can remember a time in your life when someone helped you financially when you were in need. That was encouraging, wasn’t it? Now consider any opportunity you might have to encourage someone else with outrageous generosity.

Second, Barnabas was a joyful person. When he was sent to visit the church at Antioch, he was glad to see all that God was doing in this new, vibrant church (Acts 11:23). Joy is a fruit of the Holy Spirit (Gal. 5:22-23). Maybe the best way you can encourage others is to let them see the joy that abides in the heart of someone who trusts Jesus Christ for their salvation. Jesus gives his followers a joy that the world can’t give, a joy that does not depend on our circumstances. Joy, like misery, can be contagious. Let’s make it a practice to spread the joy of Jesus to people who need some encouragement.

Third, Barnabas encouraged Christians to remain true to the Lord with all their hearts (Acts 11:23). Many believers get so discouraged that their faith falters. There is always the need for the voice that says, “Don’t give up! Keep going! God will see you through whatever is going on in your life right now. There is a great reward for those who remain faithful to the end!” What greater encouragement could you possibly give than to persuade people to continue steadfast in their commitment to Jesus Christ?

Next, we see that Barnabas helped Saul get involved in church work (Acts 11:25-26). Many people are looking for something significant to do with their lives. They will be encouraged if you help them get involved in the greatest thing going on in the universe today—building the church! Think about someone you can help to find their place in the service of the Lord.

Finally, Barnabas taught people the word of God (Acts 11:26). In this world filled with darkness, people need the light of God’s word. You don’t have to be an official teacher with a class of students in order to teach someone a truth from Scripture. We have opportunities every day to encourage people by helping them understand better what the Bible says and how they can apply that to their lives.

Here we see several ways that we can encourage others. In this world that is filled with so much discouragement, let’s do our best to encourage people for the cause of Christ!

“Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.”—1 Thess. 5:11.