Jeanne Stewart - "Encouragement of Self-Worth" - word2day.com

Encouragement of Worth

Jeanne Stewart, Oklahoma

In the autumn of my tenth year I nervously but courageously auditioned for a singing part in my school’s annual harvest music festival. In those days I was quite shy to anything that had me in front of people, so needless to say my audition was softly given. Afterwards, I deeply remember the music teacher snappily thanking me in front of the other girls; I had a very nice voice but she needed to be able to hear it. I could not be used and she dismissed me. Returning to my class, walking slowly and wiping tears, each step thinking how much I really wanted to be in that musical, I considered myself of no worth. I truly loved to sing and no one knew the bravery it took for me to try. I thought myself a failure, unable to sing and my chance denied. What a difference a little encouragement would have been for me as a child of ten. That opportunity could have moved me past the quiet and shy, into confidence of what gifting was within me. It was, however, to lie dormant for another ten years.

Within the church today, how do we in leadership minister to other comrades in the field of God’s calling? The Lord demands that we reach out in love to others with Spirit-led encouragement. Stripping away all forms of arrogant flesh, we must submit to ‘…all the ways of the Lord (which) are loving and faithful for those who keep the demands of His covenant.’ (Psalm 25:10)

We who stand in God-given authority to develop leaders must first realize it is not our own kingdom we are building with our great abilities and personality. Rather, as we surrender to His purpose, we build His eternal Kingdom through all He has placed within us. We are then able to be the powerful witness of the resurrection of our Master and Lord Jesus, having His grace to speak with fearless confidence His truth, pleasing the One who ‘…put it in our hearts.’ (Nehemiah 2:12)

Let us go now to portions of scripture in the book of Acts, where we see a wonderful example of this notion of encouragement of worth. We first are told in Acts chapter 4 in verses 36 through 37 about a leader in the early church, a Levite from Cyprus named Joseph, whom the apostles called Barnabas. This name was given him for its meaning, ‘Son of Encouragement.’ Continue with me to chapter 9 where sometime later we notice Saul, after his Damascus road experience, unsuccessfully trying to join with the disciples because they were afraid of him, not believing he was a disciple but a slaughterer of the church. We see Barnabas stepping up, taking his place as a positive leader, bringing Saul into the circle of apostles, declaring boldly; ‘Saul now preaches in the name of Jesus.’ In chapter 13, verse 2, the Holy Spirit teams Barnabas and Saul together for the work to which He has called them. Having fasted and prayed, the disciples of leadership lay hands on them and send them away to begin their preaching ministry. Then in verse 4 we witness John Mark joining them as a helper and Saul becoming known as Paul on their travels into Gentile territory. We learn in verse 13 that John Mark soon leaves the team and returns to Jerusalem. Some time later in chapter 15, Paul suggests to Barnabas that they travel back and visit the believers in all the towns where they had preached the Word of the Lord and see how they were doing. Our ‘Son of Encouragement’, Barnabas, wanted to take John Mark, but Paul did not think it wise because he had deserted them in Pamphylia, not continuing with them in the work. Paul and Barnabas have such a sharp disagreement that they part company. Barnabas takes John Mark and sails to Cyprus while Paul chooses a new team member in the Lord, Silas.

After the fact we can perceive that this disagreement actually worked out to the good. The number of ministering teams doubled from one to two. But think of how John Mark must have felt. Paul’s passionate convictions could only see the urgency of the call to go forth and proclaim the message of the cross and build churches. No doubt Barnabas was equally passionate about the call, but true to his name, ‘Son of Encouragement’, he saw a broken brother, a dropout, a Pauline reject, one weakened by failure, who needed support, who needed his calling reaffirmed. So Barnabas walked it out with John Mark and in so doing no doubt brought him into a deeper place of confident ministry, allowing his gifting within to develop. If Barnabas had turned away from John Mark in a time of much needed ministry to his worth, what place of authority in ministry might have been lost? Years later we see John Mark coming into his own place of leadership among the brethren as he penned by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit the Gospel of Mark that we read today in the New Testament. Whereas in later years the zealous Paul came to see the worth of John Mark as well as Timothy, Titus and many more who were encouraged and restored through his now matured spiritual experiences.

For years I questioned my own calling because of my quieter and gentler ways. Then in my early twenties the Lord brought an older woman into my life for a short season that became to me as Barnabas was to John Mark.

We each must find that place within ourselves to speak encouragement of worth to one another. In 2 Timothy chapter 4, verse 2, it commands, ‘Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke, and encourage with great patience and careful instruction.’ May I encourage all of you in leadership in the Kingdom of God to take a good look at those around you who minister with you side by side? The position you hold is not about your abilities or your authority. Rather, it is to recognize the strengths that lie within others—strengths that make the work of the ministry flow smoother for the good of the team, thus bringing honor unto our Lord. Let us take the time to look within the hearts of others and develop their gifting, without regard to our own personal preferences. Let us pour ourselves into the lives of others so that no life will lie dormant for lack of the encouragement of worth.

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