The Men of Iron Minute

by Ryan Zook | Curriculum & Content Developer

How Can I Use My Influence Well?

Steward your influence well and use it faithfully to bring honor and glory to God. You need a Barnabas, you need a Peter, and you need a Timothy. 

You need a mentor, a peer, and a protege. 

We’re introduced to the Apostle Paul in Acts 7:58. At that point in his story, he encouraged people to kill an early follower of Jesus named Stephen. Early Christians were terrified of Paul because his favorite pastime was killing their friends. And he was good at it. Paul became a Christian following a radical encounter with Jesus, which permanently changed the trajectory of his life. But everyone was still afraid of him. Until a man named Barnabas took a risk on Paul, Barnabas ended up teaching, training, and traveling with Paul. Everything Barnabas did, Paul did. 

Paul would not have had the influence that he had if Barnabas had never taken a chance on him and invested in him. Eventually, Paul led, taught, and served alongside Peter. They were peers, and they constantly encouraged and sharpened each other. At times, they had to work together through tension and pressure. 

In Galatians 2, Paul describes when he had to confront Peter because he was missing the mark. We can be thankful that they served together and encouraged each other as peers because we all have directly benefited from the teaching and passion of both Peter and Paul. 

Finally, Paul also invested in Timothy. Timothy was a younger man, a few seasons behind Paul. He was intentionally investing in Timothy so that one day, he could take over Paul’s churches and ministries. Paul was the mentor, and Timothy was the protege. 

We need a Barnabas. A Man a few seasons ahead of us who is willing to invest in us and push us further. 

We need a Peter. A friend and a peer who can walk with us and call us out when we miss the mark. We need Timothy, a younger man we are intentionally investing in and calling up. They can learn from our mistakes and eventually become even more influential than we are. 

Live well and honor God with your influence. 

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