Acts 15:32 Judas and Silas, who themselves were prophets, said much to encourage and strengthen the believers.

This is perfectly in line with Ephesians 4:11-12. “So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.” An important part of training disciples is to encourage and strengthen them. Progress should be noted and praised and continued weaknesses should be pointed out, gently if possible, but as strongly as necessary. Telling someone they’re a failure is hardly ever going to get a good result, apart from the rare circumstances in which shock therapy is necessary. This particular verse is an illustration of the function of New Testament prophets. We tend to think of prophecy strictly as talking about the future, but actually, throughout the Bible it is simply a matter of speaking out what God is saying. And like here, God often speaks to encourage and strengthen us. How good is that? Training someone doesn’t necessarily mean putting them through a meat grinder, it means telling them what they need to hear and letting them put it into practice. Disciples who are trained that way grow strong indeed, and then strengthen others, for a glorious, continuing cycle.

My weakest area in this has been in letting those I’m teaching put the information into practice. That’s why my recent study of coaching has been very valuable. Teaching tends to be top-down and counseling is largely directive, but coaching is coming alongside and encouraging the one being coached to discover for themselves what they need to be doing. Judas and Silas weren’t lecturing the believers, they were speaking God’s words to them, telling them not to give up and otherwise encouraging them. Prophecy is one of my gifts, and I need to exercise it as these men did. Yesterday was a good example of that, as I was able to comment joyfully on the growth I see in the believers because of my absence. This has been indeed a “3-week vacation from Jack,” and it has done the entire church good. That’s not to say that I’m to pack up permanently tomorrow, but it does give me more peace about that eventuality. Training disciples isn’t always easy, but it’s by no means impossible, if we will allow the Holy Spirit to be in control.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You indeed for yesterday and all it held. Thank You for the reminder that You and the believers are to be trusted, and it’s better if I’m not in control. I pray that we would continue to grow as You intend in the weeks and years ahead, for the salvation of many and for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!