An Unlikely Barnabas for Shaquille O’Neal

And Joses, who was also named Barnabas by the apostles (which is translated Son of Encouragement), a Levite of the country of Cyprus,

–Acts 4:36

It may surprise some to know that there was a modern day Barnabas in the NBA, especially when they find out it was none other than trash talkin’ legend Larry Bird. Shaquille “Shaq” O’Neal shared a story when his L.S.U. Tigers played a college game just before Bird and the Celtics played in the same arena. After his game was over and he was back in his hotel room watching the NBA game, he heard Bird say during a brief half-time interview, “If that Shaquille O’Neal fellow comes out into the NBA, he’s going to be the best big man ever.” Apparently, Bird had watched some of the preceding L.S.U. game and was impressed with a much younger Shaq and recognized his potential. O’Neal shared that this was the first time he really took himself serious as a ballplayer and his confidence grew from there. He thanked Bird publicly.

Unique from all the New Testament church leaders, Barnabas was memorialized with the definition of his name, “Son of Encouragement.” Those who are gifted in exhortation have an unusual way of seeing the potential in people when all that others see is shortcomings. Consider Saul’s conversion. All the apostles were afraid of responding to Saul’s request for a meeting, knowing his reputation as a persecutor of the church, but it was Barnabas who reached out to him after hearing him preach and presented him to the leaders as a true believer. (Acts 9:27) It was this same Barnabas who deeply believed in John Mark, even though he deserted Barnabas and Paul at Pamphylia, to the point Barnabas and Paul split company over the matter. (Acts 15:39) Later on, Paul actually requested John Mark to come work with him saying, “He was useful to me in ministry.” (2 Timothy 4:11) What Paul came to appreciate, Barnabas saw all along.

We parents need to be a Barnabas to our children because the devil and his minions do everything they can to beat our children down. Seeing the general spiritual decline in the overall culture, Satan is not happy about homeschooling success stories, and he will do everything within his power to squelch our graced efforts.

Risking all the modern day psychobabble that is out there, we need to be reminded that our children do indeed have dreams. As a fellow realist, I understand some of these dreams are not going to be realized; however, rather than we parents bursting their dreams, the Holy Spirit, time, and life realities are more than able to lead our children away from false dreams, nudging here and prodding there, opening a door here and closing another over there. Why don’t we fuel their hopes rather than extinguishing them? Who knows? Their dreams may come to total fruition or God may use these temporary dreams to open up another door that will actually lead to their permanent life calling.

I grieve for children who go to public school and who dare to think outside of the systematized box. They often are mocked for thinking differently, deeper, or broader. How many dreams have been crushed in the classroom or on the playground by teachers or peers who tried to limit others’ vision simply because they themselves were nearsighted? Let us leave the dream-crushing to others and seek to be Sons of Encouragement by looking for the God-given potential in the lives of our sons and daughters!