The Barnabas Way of Shaping Lives for Jesus: A 5-Day DevotionalChikamu

DAY 5: A Lasting Legacy, God’s Way

Making a name for oneself—a legacy. It’s everyone’s quest. It’s in us to want to impress those around us. It’s in us to want to leave our mark on the world. Turned inwardly, that drive to impress others is dangerous. It is unquenchable, maybe even uncontrollable.

But turned outwardly toward others, legacy-building can honor God. This type of drive in the pursuit of a godly legacy is everlasting because it invests in people. People are the only fruit of your labors on earth that will show up in eternity. Barnabas aligned his life with that goal. In doing so, he followed Christ’s pattern as expressed in His greatest commandment—love God through a love for people (see Matthew 22:37–40).

After Barnabas advocated for John Mark in Acts 15:37–39, seeing his potential in spite of his shortcomings, we never hear of Barnabas again. And that’s OK. Barnabas wasn’t building a name for himself. But look at the godly legacy Barnabas left for generations to come. He left us the apostle Paul. Barnabas’s legacy is a person! Think of the impact Paul had on Christianity! Barnabas saw what Paul could become for Christ from the start.

Barnabas also left us John Mark. Mark wrote one of the four gospels in the New Testament. It is a gospel that focuses on Jesus Christ as a faithful servant who calls His followers to faithful service. This is no coincidence. Mark knew all about failed service and of opportunities to pick oneself up under the right watchful eye (see Acts 15:36–41). And not only did Mark write some of our Bible, but many believe his gospel was consulted by Matthew and Luke when they wrote their gospels. And Luke wrote the book of Acts as well. The ripple effect is huge. My point is that John Mark played a massive role in getting us the New Testament scriptures. Godly influencers leave a trail of blessed people behind them.

God’s influencers in culture are constant followers first. To lead is to follow God. This may be obvious, but it isn’t simple. There are a lot of people wanting Jesus to keep up with their plans. But being a godly influencer is keeping up with Him. It is a life of self-denial; it is a walk in which we pick up our cross daily and follow Him (see Luke 9:23). You can influence others well only if you are following God well yourself.

Barnabas was able to be a role model because he was in sync with God and followed His lead. In Acts 4:36, Barnabas was a nickname the apostles gave him which means “son of encouragement,” or literally means “son of Paraclesis.” And that is precisely the nickname Jesus gives the Holy Spirit—the Encourager, the Comforter, the Paraclete (see John 14:16, 26). For these men who coined the nickname, Barnabas was like the presence of the Holy Spirit in their midst.

Legacy is not about making a name for yourself. Jesus rejects the world’s definition of greatness: power, authority, and position. For Jesus, legacy means the first is last. The greatest are the servants. That is God’s way; that is the pattern Christ left and the pattern Barnabas followed. A legacy of people committed to the vision of God is the result of following Jesus.

Respond

Who in your life is impacted by your example of following (or not following) Jesus?

What would it look like for you to put others first, see their potential in God’s kingdom, and influence them as a servant of God?

Where will you begin to build a legacy of people who see in you what it means to live for God? How will God’s Word and the power of the Holy Spirit build this legacy through you?

Prayer

Lord, I commit this life you have given me to you. I thank you for your Word and the power of the Holy Spirit that helps me live as your servant to the people you place in my life. Help me to follow your pattern of putting others first for your sake. I praise you for any influence my life has on building your kingdom! Amen.