For instance, there was Joseph, the one the apostles nicknamed Barnabas (which means "Son of Encouragement"). He was from the tribe of Levi and came from the island of Cyprus.

— Acts 4:36

Acts 9 tells us that it was Barnabas who brought the newly converted Paul to the apostles in Jerusalem. The name Barnabas means "son of encouragement," and his actions reveal that he was an encouraging guy. We all know a Barnabas—the one who always has an encouraging word. When you are down, that is the person you want to call, because you know he or she will encourage you.

You may not be called to preach and teach like Paul did, but you can be an encourager like Barnabas was. You can do your part, because right now, you probably know someone who needs some encouragement—someone who has failed in life, someone who is hurting, or someone who is a brand-new believer. They need someone like you to stand in the gap. You don't have to know every verse in the Bible. You don't have to have the answer to every theological question. You just need to be a real Christian who can show them what it is like to live in the real world.

You can be a Barnabas, an encourager, because everybody needs encouragement. And everyone needs help. Everyone stumbles and falls in some way, shape, or form. Everyone has their down days, even the heroes of life. They may wake up on the wrong side of the bed, be feeling a little cranky, or don't always have the perfect answer for every question. They are human like you are. They need someone to just encourage them. So be an encourager.

Thank God for the Barnabases of the world who help those in need—and all of us need it at one time or another. These are the unsung heroes who play an important part in the lives of great men and women of God.