Discipleship Impact

The report of this came to the ears of the church in Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to Antioch. When he came and saw the grace of God, he was glad, and he exhorted them all to remain faithful to the Lord with steadfast purpose, for he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. And a great many people were added to the Lord. So Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul, and when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. For a whole year they met with the church and taught a great many people. And in Antioch the disciples were first called Christians. Acts 11: 22-26

Who would you consider to be one of your mentors?

Behind every great man is a great mentor. No man can develop himself any more than a knife can sharpen itself. There is a great myth that exists about the kind of man who needs no other. This is completely untrue. Being alone and exerting great effort does not make one better, just ineffective. Play this out in your mind about Paul. Here’s a man who wrote nearly half of the New Testament. Our faith in Christ is stronger because of how God used him. Paul needed a man to train him; he did not do this alone.

Of course, Paul had some gifting and talent of his own, but we have to attribute this development to Barnabas. Barnabas was a man of God who sought out Paul and spent a year teaching alongside him. Out of this very apprenticeship, we see the name “Christian” appear. But even more important, Paul was developed. Who is your Barnabas and in whose life are you pouring into? These are two fundamental questions every man must answer.

DO THIS TODAY: Take inventory of who can develop you and who you have developed.