What if Barnabas…

What if he had not believed in Paul?

What if he had not recruited Paul?

What if he had not worked with Paul?

What if he had not developed Paul?

What if he had not given the stage to Paul?

What if he had held on to ‘his position’?

What if he had not believed in John Mark?

What if he had not worked with John Mark?

What if he had not developed John Mark?

Then, …

Then, we might not have Paul’s epistles.

Then, we might not have the Gospel of Mark.

It required that he put his own prejudice aside.

It required not to be concerned about his own reputation.

It required hearing criticism.

It required a willingness to step aside, to give up the spotlight and work from behind the scenes.

It required focusing on the person and their God-given potential, seeing beyond their weaknesses and trusting God’s work in them and then collaborating with him. May be it meant to trust a hunch.

It meant that another’s success is more important than his own.

It meant to consistently invest in another, which is often less visible and glamorous, but incredibly impactful beyond a generation. 

It meant being okay with slow growth rather than working miracles.

So, how do you work?

To be courageous and take a risk.

To listen more than tell.

To observe and strengthen.

To see beyond the obvious.

To see potential.

To connect from the heart.

To invest.

To develop.

To get out of the way.

To work through failures.

To give grace.

To not give up.

To lay down titles and positions.

To lay down one’s reputation.

To become invisible.

Sometimes…

Sometimes, success is when we are in the spotlight (or we think or get trapped in believing that).

Sometimes, success is giving or putting the spotlight on another.

Sometimes, success is the fruit that others produced.

Sometimes, success is taking the less popular road.

Success is more about fruitfulness, fruit that lasts. And in order to bear more fruit, some things need to go.

What if we all did some of what Barnabas did?

Who could you invest in?

Who could you believe in?

Who could you come alongside and coach towards their full potential?

What would you need to lay down to make that possible?

Who could you empower?

By not stepping aside and coming behind another, the world might not receive the gift another could offer!

What do you think? If you feel inclined, share your insight!