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PROGRAM D-8239
I’ve been giving you some practical ideas on what you can do to encourage people—especially people with and for whom you work. I call it Becoming a Barnabas on the Job because Barnabas means Son of Encouragement. This was the name given to Joseph in Acts 4 because he was such an encouraging person.
Here are a few more simple things you can do to become a Barnabas where you work:
- Be a good employee: It’s not always easy to submit to your boss, but that is what Christians in the workplace are to do. When given instructions, follow them—unless they would cause you to lose your integrity. Remember, you are working for Jesus and he is your true boss. Just being a good employee will be encouraging to your boss—if no one else—but it also sets a good example for others.
- Take second place: Be willing to be the last in line, to take the worst seat, and to let someone else take credit. That’s not easy to do sometimes, but it’s the servant attitude that Jesus had, and we need to have it as well.
- Apologize: If you’ve made a mistake, done something you should not have done, or said something you should not have said, own up to it as soon as possible and simply apologize. A friend of mine says the biggest difference between her and her coworkers who are not believers is that she apologizes more than they do! An apology can go a long way toward relieving tension in relationships, and it will indeed be an act of encouragement.
Truthfully, how many encouraging words do you hear in a normal day? In many work environments, they are few and far between. But if you become a Barnabas on your job, and with sincerity you offer words of encouragement, you will become a beacon of light in that world.
You can become a Barnabas—a person who refuses to be discouraged and, instead, offers words of encouragement to those around you. It’s what Jesus would do, and this is one simple but important way you can be his ambassador right where you work.