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We give thanks to the Lord for those persons who continually refresh our spirits. Such people are often said to have a Barnabas spirit. Sunday evening, Mitch Wilburn described Jan and me as Barnabas people. We want to be that kind of Christians–and Mitch was reflecting his own Barnabas spirit in his words.

The name “Barnabas” means “son of encouragement.” Barnabas is known in Scripture for his generosity and encouragement. He is the one who paved the way for Paul’s acceptance at Jerusalem (Acts 9). Barnabas was the one who believed in John Mark and restored him to useful service (Acts 15:36-41; 2 Timothy 4:11).

About 35 years ago, I spoke at the Annual Day at Shults-Lewis Children’s Home. I remember what I spoke about: “While I Was Busy Here and There….” Even more, I remember the words used to introduce me that Labor Day: “Here is a brother who gets behind and pushes every good thing he possibly can.”

The church would be well served in the present age if there were more persons with a Barnabas spirit.

• I will speak encouraging words about other Christians and every good work–always. I will get behind and push good works, doing everything I can to move them forward.
• I will try to understand other people and work together to share mutually encouraging ministries.
• I will not cast doubt on others; I will actively work to build them up and make their Christian life and service easier.
• I will get myself out of the way; I will do everything I can to support the ministries and good works of others.
• Although I don’t agree with or understand everything that brother says or does, he is doing a good work and I will not tear him down.
• That brother has made his share of mistakes, but I will persevere and endure and help him move ahead in ministry rather than depending on past assumptions.
• Nothing is gained by casting doubt on other Christians; I will do everything I can to work with and encourage every other Christian to love and good works.

Just thinking….

If a book were written about your life, would anyone want to read it?
Who would want to read it? Why?

The question of the title comes from James 4. James writes that our life is a little vapor that appears for a time.
If you were to describe your life in one word, what would that word be?

It is not what happens to us that shapes our perceptions. It is how we understand what happens to us–how we experience and interpret and process what happens to us. The same thing happens to two different people with two different results. “The fire that melts the butter hardens the steel.”

Many of us go through life using mental programming that was largely developed in our childhood. We react to the world and the events and circumstances of our life based on an already established thought set, and we think little about how and why our brains are perceiving and interpreting what is happening to us. Our perceptions, based on who we are, are unchanging, and so is our perspective. This prohibits our contining growth and brings about old behaviors and attitudes that are often negative and self-defeating.

Each of us has a unique perspective that we apply to our experiences. This perspective determines our reaction and response. This perspective can be changed, resulting in possibilities for growth and positive thinking, but it is easier to keep the perspective we already have. Changing our perspective is hard work and requires that we rethink things we thought were established and set. Changing perspectives means we have to stay open to the possibility of change and growth and blessing and challenge.

Positive thinkers have flexible brains that allow them to experience and interpret life in positive ways. Such flexible brains constantly reprocess life’s events to update perceptions and perspectives.
Is it time for a perception check? When you have thought something and reacted accordingly, only to find that what you thought was incorrect?
Perhaps you have experienced faulty perceptions from the reverse side–someone falsely accused you based on inadequate or inaccurate perceptions. Remember that we think about (perceive) events and people according to what we are, not according to what they are. Your experience probably reflected a problem on the part of the “perceiver” more than on the part of the “perceived.”

You have likely heard the phrase, “Perception is reality.” Some interpret the phrase to suggest that every perception is true–that every perception is reality, or at least contains some element of reality. While it may be true that what people perceive is a reflection of some reality, which reality is reflected?
A quote from Anais Nin says, “We don’t see things as they are, we see them as we are.” A person’s perception is as much the result of an internal reality (education, experience, emotions, and worldview) as it is the result of external realities. I perceive according to an established set of personal realities. What I perceive may not be complete, and may not be true.
Thus, spiritually mature persons do not say everything they think. I do not share everything I perceive, knowing that I could be wrong. Caution is the best course. When and how and to whom should I entrust my thoughts and perceptions?

The danger of writing a blog such as this is apparent. How bold to write about my perception of perception!
Now it is up to you, the readers, to decide. What do you think? What do you perceive?

[To be continued….]