I hold in my hand a picture of an envelope addressed to "God's Man, Minnesota, U.S." Forty-five years ago it was delivered through the United States postal service to Billy Graham. It actually reached him. No matter what you may personally think of Billy Graham, apparently he lived in such a way that the mail sorters in the postal service would direct a letter like that to him. And no matter what you may personally think of the Joseph we read about in Acts, he apparently lived in such a way as to have a certain nickname attached to him.
The apostles gave Joseph his nickname, but why? They called him "Barnabas"—son of encouragement. We know from Scripture that Joseph sold some land and donated the proceeds to the apostles. But that's not all. He became known for advocating on behalf of people, for good things, for the spread of the Word. Apparently, encouragement was a pattern with him, his habit, the standard way he went about relationships. If we follow his name through the New Testament, we find that beyond his own direct interactions, Joseph fostered a general atmosphere or culture of supportiveness among believers.
So how can church leaders today cultivate encouragement among believers? I think the answer lies in valuing and modeling what's commendable by discussing it, teaching it, commending it when it appears, and rewarding it with consistency. Keep reading
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