Willingness to change

​This is the 2nd in a 7-part series on Mentorship and deals with the first criteria: our willingness to change. Christ is your first and primary mentor. You may have others. I hope you do. But Christ is the most important and most useful for your spiritual growth....

This is the 2nd in a 7-part series on Mentorship and deals with the first criteria: our willingness to change.

Christ is your first and primary mentor. You may have others. I hope you do. But Christ is the most important and most useful for your spiritual growth. Perhaps this is obvious to you. It wasn’t to me until today. This was a fresh insight that He, the King of Kings, is mentoring me. How cool is that!

Take this quick assessment and see where you stand on this topic. How willing are you to change? Score yourself on a scale of 25 points per question, for the following four questions. See how close you score to an “A”, which would be a 90% or better. Then, whatever your score, think about how you are going to improve.

FOUR QUESTIONS TO DETERMINE “WILLINGNESS TO CHANGE”

• I demonstrate a strong willingness to change my way of doing things and constantly look for new ways to do better at whatever I’m doing. Score __ (Max. 25 points)
• Key stakeholders would describe me as one willing to try new ways of accomplishing tasks to improve personal and organizational performance. Score __ (Max. 25 points)
• I am open to taking risks based on evidence that suggests a beneficial outcome leading to positive personal change. Score __ (Max. 25 points)
• I am willing to rethink deeply held beliefs and open myself to the vulnerability accompanying such risks. Score __ (Max. 25 points)

​Total Score _ (Max. 100 points)

Based on your score, what actions are you going to take to increase your willingness to change? Make a list of 4 – 7 actions. Share these with Christ Jesus in your next quiet time, and share these with an earthly mentor. If you don’t have a flesh-and-blood mentor, and you think you are too old to have one, think again. Maybe that is an action you can take: Get a mentor here on earth. If you don’t see Christ as your mentor, and this is a new insight for you, as it was for me as I wrote this, then perhaps you want to formally ask for your relationship with Christ to go to the “next level” and ask for Him, the Perfect Mentor, to start mentoring you. And, if you are not having a daily quiet time, perhaps you want to start with that baby step.

CONCLUSION (repeated from yesterday’s post)

Until we are in heaven, we will need mentors. And others will need us to mentor them. May we all mentor others with the same skills and abilities that Christ had. May we all be as coachable as mentees as Christ was. And may all of us have mentors, and mentor others, helping Christ’s ministry leaders finish well. Amen. I believe this is God’s will in each of our lives. What do you think? I would love to hear from you on this subject. Feel free to write to me at the address below and share your thoughts.

Your aspiring servant,

Daniel M.

August 1, 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. 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.