Who’s Your Mentor?
The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you.
—Philippians 4:9
One of the secrets of success for some of the great Bible heroes was having mentors. If you don’t have a godly mentor in your life, you need to ask God to put one there. When He does, don’t hang back and wait for the person to approach you; you may need to ask him or her to mentor you. Joshua was always there, hanging out around Moses. Elisha’s success was found in his relationship with Elijah. He spent hours and hours learning from the wise old prophet.
The apostle Paul called Timothy “a true son in the faith” (1 Timothy 1:2). Timothy was one of the youngest apostles in the Bible. How did he succeed at such a young age? He literally sat at the feet of the great apostle Paul and caught his spirit.
Jesus spent three and a half years of His life in ministry. Most of His time was not with the crowds, or with rich and influential leaders, but with twelve men into whom He poured His life and wisdom. He would speak in parables to the crowds of people, then He would explain and elaborate with the disciples. These men became the building blocks of His church.
Mentors expose you to new orbits of ministry, new habits, and new levels of expectation. Ask the weight lifter or the track-and-field high jumper what a coach does for him. If you want to be the best, the mentor will keep raising the bar, asking for a little more effort and for better results, and teaching you to expect more from yourself.
At times, mentors may even seem cruel and inconsiderate, but if you want to be a winner, their coaching can urge you to the top. Proverbs 27:6 says, “Faithful are the wounds of a friend, but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful.” It’s a great day when God gives you someone who loves you enough to put you under a little pressure so you can be conformed into the image of Jesus Christ and reach your highest potential.
Prayer:
Lord Jesus, thank You for the example of those who are mature in their faith. I pray not only that You would bring powerful mentors into my life, but also that You would keep me humble so that I can learn from them and follow You more closely. In Your name I pray, amen.
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