"Only Luke is with me. Get Mark and bring him with you, because he is helpful to me in my ministry."
~2 Timothy 4:11
When Mark went with Paul and Barnabas on the 1st missionary journey, at one point, Mark decided to leave. It caused a rift between Paul and Barnabas. When it came to the 2nd missionary journey, Barnabas wanted to take Mark again, but Paul did not. Paul didn't feel they could rely on Mark because he had abandoned them in Pamphylia the first time around. Paul and Barnabas parted ways, and Mark went with Barnabas.
However, at some point later, Paul changed his mind about Mark. As we can see in 2 Timothy 4:11. He realized that maybe his first impression was wrong about Mark, and Mark was helpful in his ministry.
It is so important in life to remain open to giving others a 2nd chance.
Once we form an opinion about somebody, sometimes it’s very challenging to change it. It takes a lot to convince us that a person has changed. In fact, it takes a lot more to convince us a person has changed, than it probably took to form our opinion of that person to begin with. How many times have you formed an opinion based on just one thing you’ve seen a person do, or one thing you were told? But Paul did change his opinion of Mark. It may have taken awhile, but Paul saw Mark’s value.
And what do we learn from Mark? Well, we learned that Mark made mistakes. We learned that Mark was given a second chance by Barnabas. We learned that even Paul saw the value of Mark to his ministry in the end—so Paul gave him a second chance too. Here is Mark in the presence of two of the greatest Christian missionaries of all times, and he has earned the respect of both of them.
But do you think that was Mark’s goal? To earn the respect of Paul and Barnabas? Or do you think Mark was focused on doing God’s work? Do you think God picked Mark to write that first gospel because Barnabas and Paul approved of him?
I don’t think so. God had a plan for Mark all along. His mistakes made him stronger. His errors made him more suitable for the mission God had set before him. Our God is a God of second chances.
We alone are responsible for moving forward in our Christian life. Mark was serving in ministry with two of the most prominent Christians in the New Testament, Paul and Barnabas. And let’s not forget Peter as well! But being surrounded by such great men didn’t guarantee Mark’s relationship with the Lord. Being around strong Christians can be a strong influence in our life, but it’s our personal relationship with God that matters the most.When we fall short, it’s important to try and mend fences with those we’ve disappointment or hurt and ask for forgiveness. A second chance. And it’s just as important for us to give others those same second chances we’ve been given. But the most important thing we need to do, is to get right with God when we fall short. That we admit our weaknesses to Him. That we repent of our sins. That we ask forgiveness. And when we do that, God will give us that second chance. And a third chance. And a fourth chance. And a fifth chance. Maybe even seventy-seven chances, or seven times seventy chances.
God always forgives us. As God forgives us, we should be forgiving of others. As God gives us second chances, so should we give second chances to others. Don’t harden your heart against somebody just because they’ve messed up. We all do.
Be like Barnabas. Overlook the weakness in a person and find the strength. Be like Paul. Keep your mind open and give somebody a second chance. If anybody understood the power of a second chance, it was Paul.
You can always return to God and God will always take you back. He makes it easy for us. Christians will always be given another chance to do great things for the Lord if they ask for it. You can turn back to Him and seek Him again and again. Our God is the God of second chances because He knows we’re not perfect, and we’re going to need second chances. And when we remember that we’re not perfect, maybe we can learn to accept that others aren’t perfect either. Be a person willing to give a second chance.
~Todd E. Creason
This is an excerpt of a message delivered on 6/15/2022 at the Wednesday Night ReCharge at Muncie Baptist Church
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