Shepherding a Breakthrough

When [Barnabas] arrived [in Antioch] and saw what the grace of God had done, he was glad and encouraged them all to remain true to the Lord with all their hearts.
- Acts 11:23

What did Barnabas do in this passage to shepherd this new breakthrough in Antioch?

He arrived. He showed up. He didn’t judge from a distance. He didn’t lob advice down the field. He came and saw for himself. This physical presence is, for many of us, the hardest step. Who has time for a trip to Antioch?

He saw what the grace of God had done. He had eyes to see what God was doing. He was on the lookout for God’s handiwork. What Barnabas saw in Antioch would have been different from what he was used to seeing. It would have sounded different. There may have even been some things that made Barnabas uncomfortable. But he didn’t get hung up on the wrong stuff. He kept his eyes on the evidences of God’s grace.

He was glad. Barnabas didn’t respond with jealousy (as many religious leaders do when they see God’s grace at work in the book of Acts). He wasn’t cynical. He rejoiced. His first response to the breakthrough was celebration.

He encouraged them all to remain true to the Lord with all their hearts. Barnabas, the “son of encouragement,” did what he did best. He added his own unique contribution to the celebration. He joined in.

What do you do when you stumble across a breakthrough, a place where the walls of hostility between people have come down? Do you stick around? Do you look for God’s handiwork? Do you feel joy? Do you join in? What would you like to do better in the future?

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