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Probably Paul’s most painful failure was the dispute he had with Barnabas over John Mark who had deserted them (Acts 15:38). Barnabas wanted to give Mark a second chance, but Paul refused. “They had such a sharp disagreement that they parted company” (Acts 15:39). This disagreement highlights the differences in their personalities. For Paul nothing was more important than his God-given task. Barnabas on the other hand was an encourager (see Acts 4:36) whose passion was helping people. Thankfully Paul reconciled with John Mark. In one of his final epistles, he writes:
“Bring Mark with you when you come, for he will be helpful to me in my ministry.”
— 2 Timothy 4:11 (NLT)
Lord, help us to reconcile with those whom we have broken fellowship. Amen.