Written by Kirk Cowman
One of my closest friends is a man named Lorne. He has been a mentor and friend to me for over a decade and has seen me at my best and my worst. When I need someone to talk with and process life, it’s Lorne that I turn to. I know I can always count on Lorne. He’s committed to me and has played an important part in helping me become the person I am today.
When I moved to Regina, I decided I was going to be a “Lorne” to someone else. I was going to be intentional about helping someone as Lorne had helped me. So, over the past seven years that’s what I have done. I have committed myself to several people and sought to help them become what Jesus envisions.
Have you ever had someone like Lorne in your life? Have you ever been a “Lorne” for someone else?
In Acts 15 there’s an interesting story about Paul and Barnabas. We are told that Paul and Barnabas got in an argument and it was such a sharp disagreement that they went separate ways. The disagreement was about who to take on their next missionary journey.
At the time, Paul and Barnabas were the dream team. Thousands had come to know Jesus because of them on their first journey. Can you imagine what could have happened on a second journey? Both were willing, yet the trip never happened, because Barnabas wanted to take John Mark. Paul would have none of it because John Mark had deserted them on their first missionary journey.
I think Barnabas was a master mentor. He had a knack for identifying potential in people and drawing it out. He knew how to disciple and help people become who Jesus envisioned them to be.
Barnabas did this with Paul. In Acts 9:27 we find Paul as a new believer in Jerusalem and Barnabas took him under his wing. Then in Acts 11:22-26 we find Barnabas tasked with leading the church in Antioch. The first thing he does is travel to Tarsus to find Paul and bring him with him. Barnabas discipled and mentored Paul. He helped Paul become the great missionary we read about today.
Now Barnabas wanted to do the same thing with John Mark, but Paul disagreed. Paul couldn’t get over the fact that John Mark had abandoned them. Barnabas committed himself to John Mark; he wasn’t going to let one mistake define or ruin John Mark’s life. So Paul and Barnabas split up and headed out on separate missionary journeys. Paul took Silas and Barnabas took John Mark.
Why did Barnabas choose John Mark over Paul? I wonder if it was because Barnabas recognized that Paul didn’t need his mentorship anymore? Over the years since they’d met, Paul had matured as a follower of Jesus and as a leader. He was ready to mentor someone else, and he does as he takes Silas with him on his second journey. John Mark, on the other hand, needed someone to disciple him. He needed someone to help him become who Jesus envisioned.
I’m sure it was a hard choice for Barnabas, saying no to Paul and yes to John Mark, but in the end it was the right choice. With Barnabas’ help, John Mark goes from being someone who turned his back on the mission to someone Paul says “is helpful to me in my ministry.” (2 Timothy 4:11). John Mark also becomes a trusted co-worker of the apostle Peter and goes on to write an account of Jesus’ life (the Gospel of Mark). What a difference a mentor can make in a life!
The truth is we all need a Barnabas to help us grow in our faith, to help process the tough times of life and encourage us to become the person Jesus created us to be. We also need to do be a Barnabas for someone else. Jesus’ vision was that his people would be disciples who make disciples who make disciples, that each of us would have a Barnabas and John Mark in our lives.
Who could be your Barnabas? Who could be your Paul or John Mark? What might happen in your life if you had a Barnabas and a John Mark or a Paul in your life? Ask the Holy Spirit to speak to you about this, to give you a picture of what the future might look like if you applied this to your life.
Then ask the Holy Spirit to bring to mind someone who could be your Barnabas and your John Mark. Make a plan to invite them to have a coffee with you and discuss the possibility of being disciples who make disciples who make disciples together.
