Right Choices / Better Outcomes
# 6 The "M" Word April 26, 2013
The concept of being a mentor has become an important and vital part of developing young talent in both the business and education worlds. Googling the word “mentorship” delivers a long list of websites devoted to helping mentors connect and communicate with their mentee. It is desirable to be considered a mentor to those just starting out in their careers. It is deemed a privilege to be a voice speaking into the lives of young people, sharing with them life skills and experience.
Even so, we in Evangelical Christian circles often neglect this area of opportunity. We are obedient to God in our prayer life, in our acts of service, and in giving our finances. But somehow we do not search for occasions to spend time with a younger person or newer follower of Christ. We don’t see the urgency of providing them with encouragement and intentional guidance as they navigate life’s struggles. Investing time in the lives of others just doesn’t take priority. Many of us have neglected to follow God’s directive in this area.
There are dozens of scriptures that instruct, encourage and even command us to be a “mentor.” However, the “M” word scares some of us to death.
The most popular scripture is possibly Titus 2:3-5, and it is directed to women.
“In the same way, older women are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers, not addicted to much wine. They are to teach what is good, so they may encourage the young women to love their husbands and to love their children, to be self-controlled, pure, homemakers, kind, and submissive to their husbands, so that God’s message will not be slandered.”
Men are instructed to be mentors in Proverbs 27:17:
”Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another.”
There are examples of mentoring relationships throughout the Bible:
There are a couple of things we need to keep in mind before we dismiss the idea of investing time in another’s life to become a mentor.
First, we are influencing others in our lives whether we want to or not. We may say, “I have nothing to contribute to the life of another person.” What we don’t realize is that we influence others daily. Our attitudes and actions are being observed every day. What we need to consider is if these attitudes and actions will enhance the life of those around us, or if they will be a hindrance to the building of their character. We never know who is watching us, learning from us, or being inspired by us.
I will never forget the day a young girl came to me at church and said that her Sunday School teacher encouraged each of them to pick out a “hero” to be like, and she had chosen me. I was a young mom, and although I was earnestly seeking to be obedient to the Lord, I knew there were many areas in my life where I was still growing, and sometimes failing.
We need to realize that the lessons we have learned from our struggles and failures are lessons that could be of value to someone else. Sharing the process of how God guided, and how He has helped one grow through the process, will encourage others. It will assure them that struggles and failures are not evidence that God has abandoned them, but that these are times when God becomes more real. These are times when He proves his love and provision for us.
Consider also that most “relational” mentoring is done in a very casual way; spending time doing everyday things, and just building a friendship. Sometimes there are specific goals to accomplish, questions to be answered, or problems to be solved, but most of the time it’s just being together. Most of the time mentoring happens while observing the other in real life situations.
Mentoring is a privilege, an honour; but it is also a responsibility of every Christian. Ask the Lord to use you as a mentor. Ask Him to open the door to a growing new relationship with someone else today.
The concept of being a mentor has become an important and vital part of developing young talent in both the business and education worlds. Googling the word “mentorship” delivers a long list of websites devoted to helping mentors connect and communicate with their mentee. It is desirable to be considered a mentor to those just starting out in their careers. It is deemed a privilege to be a voice speaking into the lives of young people, sharing with them life skills and experience.
Even so, we in Evangelical Christian circles often neglect this area of opportunity. We are obedient to God in our prayer life, in our acts of service, and in giving our finances. But somehow we do not search for occasions to spend time with a younger person or newer follower of Christ. We don’t see the urgency of providing them with encouragement and intentional guidance as they navigate life’s struggles. Investing time in the lives of others just doesn’t take priority. Many of us have neglected to follow God’s directive in this area.
There are dozens of scriptures that instruct, encourage and even command us to be a “mentor.” However, the “M” word scares some of us to death.
The most popular scripture is possibly Titus 2:3-5, and it is directed to women.
“In the same way, older women are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers, not addicted to much wine. They are to teach what is good, so they may encourage the young women to love their husbands and to love their children, to be self-controlled, pure, homemakers, kind, and submissive to their husbands, so that God’s message will not be slandered.”
Men are instructed to be mentors in Proverbs 27:17:
”Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another.”
There are examples of mentoring relationships throughout the Bible:
- Elijah the prophet spent time nurturing Elisha
- Mary, Jesus’ mother spent months with her cousin Elizabeth as they both waited for the births of their sons.
- Moses learned from his father-in-law, Jethro
- Esther depended on her cousin, Mordecai for wisdom
- Paul trained and encouraged Timothy
There are a couple of things we need to keep in mind before we dismiss the idea of investing time in another’s life to become a mentor.
First, we are influencing others in our lives whether we want to or not. We may say, “I have nothing to contribute to the life of another person.” What we don’t realize is that we influence others daily. Our attitudes and actions are being observed every day. What we need to consider is if these attitudes and actions will enhance the life of those around us, or if they will be a hindrance to the building of their character. We never know who is watching us, learning from us, or being inspired by us.
I will never forget the day a young girl came to me at church and said that her Sunday School teacher encouraged each of them to pick out a “hero” to be like, and she had chosen me. I was a young mom, and although I was earnestly seeking to be obedient to the Lord, I knew there were many areas in my life where I was still growing, and sometimes failing.
We need to realize that the lessons we have learned from our struggles and failures are lessons that could be of value to someone else. Sharing the process of how God guided, and how He has helped one grow through the process, will encourage others. It will assure them that struggles and failures are not evidence that God has abandoned them, but that these are times when God becomes more real. These are times when He proves his love and provision for us.
Consider also that most “relational” mentoring is done in a very casual way; spending time doing everyday things, and just building a friendship. Sometimes there are specific goals to accomplish, questions to be answered, or problems to be solved, but most of the time it’s just being together. Most of the time mentoring happens while observing the other in real life situations.
Mentoring is a privilege, an honour; but it is also a responsibility of every Christian. Ask the Lord to use you as a mentor. Ask Him to open the door to a growing new relationship with someone else today.