Call to mentorship

My last six posts made the case for mentorship, and then walked through five qualities required to be a good mentor and a good mentee. As a summary, they are: Willingness to Change Desire to Change Courage to Change Humility to Change Discipline to Change...

My last six posts made the case for mentorship, and then walked through five qualities required to be a good mentor and a good mentee. As a summary, they are:

1. Willingness to Change
2. Desire to Change
3. Courage to Change
4. Humility to Change
5. Discipline to Change

​Christ-followers, by definition, are called to mentor and be mentored.

Jesus gave us this example. We see clearly from His lifestyle that He invested a considerable amount of time in growing the apostles. We also see this clearly from the lifestyle of the apostles, as they mentored others and were mentored by Christ.

CHRIST-FOLLOWER’S RALLYING CRY

The classic example and rallying cry for mentorship is found in 2 Timothy 2:2. “And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses, entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others.”

We can understand the process of mentorship through the symbiotic relationships Christ himself had with the apostles and how they, in turn, mentored others. The beauty of mentorship lies in its multidimensionality; it’s about teaching and learning, guiding and following, nurturing and growing, leading and being led. Personally, I learn a lot from every person I mentor. Try it if you are not already mentoring and being mentored. It will take your Christ-following to the next level.

BIBLICAL MENTORSHIP DEFINED

Mentoring, in the biblical sense, involves passing on wisdom, experience, and knowledge of God’s Word from one person to another. It isn’t just about teaching theological facts, but it’s ALSO about nurturing a deeper understanding and applying that understanding in the daily realities of life. This spiritual mentoring fosters not just individual growth but also the growth of the church as a whole. It is the methodology that Christ taught us by His example. The key question of the famous theologian Francis Schaeffer comes to mind: “How shall we then live?”

For us, as Christ-followers, this is a calling that we not only receive but also extend to others. It’s not just about receiving guidance, knowledge, and wisdom from a mentor, but also about extending these blessings to those around us by mentoring others. Sometimes, it is very clearly defined. “I am mentoring you, and you are a mentee of mine.” Sometimes, it is incidental mentoring, meaning we are observing the behavior of those we are close to and giving and receiving feedback. Conversely, they are observing how we are “living and walking out our faith in Christ Jesus.”

Being a mentor and mentee requires an attitude of service, patience, and humility. It’s not about superiority but about leadership through MUTUAL service, much like how Christ led through serving others. As mentors and mentees, we must grow to understand God’s Word better, live according to His teachings, and grow in our relationship with Him.

Likewise, being a mentee requires humility, an openness to learning, and a desire to grow. A mentee should seek wisdom, understanding, and knowledge from their mentors and apply these teachings to their lives. NOTE: I choose my words carefully. Notice the plural: “Mentors.” One mentor is not enough, in my un-humble opinion. I am adamantly convinced every Christ-follower should have MULTIPLE mentors and MULTIPLE mentees.

Mentorship is a continual journey. Even as mentors, we are still mentees to Christ, our ultimate mentor. As we guide others, we must remain open to receiving guidance from Christ, continually growing and refining our understanding of God’s Word. BUT: “You cannot give what you have not received” is a favorite saying. Receive DAILY mentoring from Christ. Then, you are in a good position to GIVE and RECEIVE mentoring from others.

CONCLUSION

The call to mentor and be mentored is not just a call to teach and learn, but a call to nurture, grow, and serve one another as Christ did. It’s about building a community of believers who are constantly growing in their faith, spreading the Gospel, and advancing God’s kingdom on earth. It’s about following Christ’s example and doing our part to fulfill the Great Commission.

Therefore, let us follow the example set before us and embrace this beautiful process of spiritual mentoring. As the apostle Paul wrote to Timothy, let us entrust to reliable people what we’ve learned and equip them to teach others. It is

In doing so, we’ll continue to build the body of Christ, honoring His teachings and living out His love in our lives.

To be an effective mentor or mentee (and hopefully, we are both), it requires change, which is often uncomfortable. Getting out of our comfort zone is the requirement. Most of us reading this have very comfortable lives, and in my opinion, overly so. As for me, I must let go of the desire to be comfortable in order to be willing to extend myself to help others grow. Likewise, I must be willing to be uncomfortable as I allow others to help me grow.

Helping others grow, while we allow others to help us grow, involves change at many levels. Let’s embrace this process, get out of our comfort zones, and allow Christ to lead us in this process. Amen.

Your aspiring servant,

Daniel M.

August 7, 2023

POSTSCRIPT: Dear friends, if this daily transparent “Conversations with Christ” blesses you, please go to www.SOLIDpastors.org, where you will find these posted, and a repository of all, in English and Spanish. Note: For ease of reference, all scriptures quoted are from the NIV.

If you ever want to chat, you can reach me at [email protected]. May Christ bless you richly as you have your own intimate, daily conversations with Christ.