“Be diligent to come to me quickly; for Demas has forsaken me, having loved this present world, and has departed for Thessalonica—Crescens for Galatia, Titus for Dalmatia. Only Luke is with me. Get Mark and bring him with you, for he is useful to me for ministry.” 2 Timothy 4:9–11
In a remarkable story reported in 2026, 75-year-old Michael Koppy became the oldest finisher of the brutal Arrowhead Ultra 135-mile race in Minnesota. Battling -20°F temperatures, frostbite, hallucinations, frozen gear, and exhaustion, he completed the course in 59.5 hours—just 30 minutes before the cutoff.
Koppy had dropped out the previous year, only six miles from the finish. This year, with five miles left, he called race volunteer Todd Gabrielson for rescue, doubting he could make it. Gabrielson refused to let him quit: “Yes, you can. You just keep going, Mike, one foot in front of the other. I’ll keep checking on you, and you’re going to finish this race.” Gabrielson stayed with him for the final mile and a half, later calling him “the toughest 75-year-old man in the world.”
Koppy credits Gabrielson’s encouragement for his success. As this story illustrates, encouragement truly has the power to change outcomes.
We see the same truth in Scripture with John Mark. Early in his ministry, Mark abandoned Paul and Barnabas during their first missionary journey in Pamphylia. (Acts 13:13) When Paul later proposed revisiting the churches, Barnabas insisted on taking Mark along, but Paul refused:
“Then after some days Paul said to Barnabas, ‘Let us now go back and visit our brethren in every city where we have preached the word of the Lord, and see how they are doing.’ Now Barnabas was determined to take with them John called Mark. But Paul insisted that they should not take with them the one who had departed from them in Pamphylia, and had not gone with them to the work. Then the contention became so sharp that they parted from one another. And so Barnabas took Mark and sailed to Cyprus; but Paul chose Silas…” Acts 15:36–40
Paul deemed Mark unreliable. But Barnabas—whose name means “Son of Encouragement”—refused to give up on him. He took Mark to Cyprus, mentored him, and restored his usefulness. Then, years later, Paul himself wrote from prison, “Get Mark and bring him with you, for he is useful to me for ministry.” Mark went on to become a trusted co-laborer for Christ and the author of the Gospel of Mark.
Encouragement transformed a deserter into a faithful servant.
Barnabas looked at Mark’s potential rather than his past, giving him a chance to finish strong.
If you are a mature believer, be a Barnabas today. Look for those who are new in the faith, discouraged, or have perhaps failed miserably. Your words, patience, and support may be the very thing that radically changes the outcome of their walk with Christ. Offer a listening ear, speak truth in love, pray with them, or simply remind them of God’s grace and their value in His eyes. Small acts of kindness—like a timely text, a coffee meetup, or affirming their potential—can reignite hope and help them persevere.
Be willing to go the extra miles with them.
Be the mentor discipling a doubting teen who later shares the Gospel boldly with peers, or the one patiently walking alongside someone recovering from addiction or depression, helping them rediscover their divine purpose. These real-life Barnabas moments prove encouragement can redirect trajectories—from despair to destiny. The Bible commands us:
“Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted.” Galatians 6:1
Prayer:
Heavenly Father, thank You for reminding us that failing doesn’t mean our race is over. Help us to see failures as opportunities to grow and become better. Lord, make us known for our encouragement, that we might uplift our brothers and sisters who need a word of cheer or an act of kindness and reinforcement. Thank you for never giving up on me! Help me to never give up on others. It’s in Your precious name we pray, Jesus. Amen.
Happy Running!
Melissa Sharp is an ultra runner and running coach who has completed more than 100 marathons and ultra marathons. Melissa has learned how to keep running the race of life for the glory of Christ even though she endured decades of domestic abuse. Melissa is a survivor. Through her daily blog thejoyfilledrunner she inspires others to live in the strength of Christ.
