Today I am dedicating this post to the most recent thought that has been floating around in my head: God puts people in our lives. It was a topic that was discussed in my seminary class and although the purpose of the discussion was fulfilled, for me personally, I have felt like there was more for me to learn. I have been thinking about this since Friday morning and if I want to be productive in my other endeavors this week, I think it is time to finish what I started.
My need to know more started with the verses in Matthew 10:1-11:
1 And when he had acalled unto him his btwelve disciples, he gave them cpower against dunclean spirits, to cast them out, and to eheal all manner of fsickness and all manner of disease.
2 Now the names of the twelve apostles are these; The first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother;
3 Philip, and Bartholomew; Thomas, and Matthew the apublican; James the son of Alphæus, and Lebbæus, whose surname was Thaddæus;
5 These twelve Jesus asent forth, and commanded them, saying, Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the bSamaritans enter ye not:
8 aHeal the sick, cleanse the blepers, raise the dead, ccast out devils:dfreely ye have received, freely egive.
10 Nor ascrip for your journey, neither two coats, neither shoes, nor yet staves: for the workman is bworthy of his cmeat.
11 And into whatsoever city or town ye shall aenter, enquire who in it is worthy; and there abide till ye go thence.
Basically Christ is saying, "Do what you have seen me do and tell the world my story."
It sounds so simple, yet it is one of the areas that many Christians struggle with. Sharing the gospel can be intimidating and can conjure up fears of rejection, embarrassment, and inadequacy. These are strong emotions that have the power to make us shrink back and pull away from those we are supposed to be reaching out to. I know because I have experienced them personally and even though I love my Savior, I have let these emotions control my actions in a negative manner. Sadly, there have been many time when I should have opened my mouth, but instead the fear of such strong emotions clamped my mouth shut.
I know from previous experience that God doesn't ask us to do something without giving us a plan and the support we need to make it happen. The twelve apostles had witnessed Christ do the very things He was asking them to do. He was their mentor. Who is the mentor that God has put in my life?
I decided to do a little research on what it means to be a mentor. A mentor is a guide or teacher. Someone who will challenge you to grow and take on big challenges. As I look back on my life I see that the Lord has put many mentors in my life. My first mentor was my mother, then came teachers, friends, classmates, etc.
As I have matured I have become more aware that a mentor doesn't necessarily mean that you see each other in a teacher/student setting. A mentor can be found in each person I meet. Everyone has something to teach me. There are people that I have not actually been introduced to that have taught me some of the lessons that have stuck with me throughout my life.
I remember reading a parenting book and the author had written a story about how she would use the term 'gentlemen' when she addressed her sons. Her thought was that she would call them by the term in which she wanted them to be. I loved that thought and chose to do the same with my own sons. Almost twenty-one years later and her influence is still felt in my home.
In another instance, I remember seeing a young woman who seemed to exude class. Her countenance was bright and her composure was flawless. Oh how I longed to be like her! I am forty-five now and I am still working on being like that young woman. She has no idea of the influence she had on me that day, but I strive to be like her every day of my life.
What does it add to being a mentor when you are doing it for Christ? The Christian faith spreads person-to-person. It grows deep in mentor-disciple relationships. Every young Christian needs a mature believer to show him/her how to live like Christ. It means doing what we have seen Him do and telling others His story through our own actions, thoughts, and words. It means guiding others through challenges that could only be accomplished with God's help.
Just as God puts people in our lives to teach us, he also provides us with someone to teach. Like Christ and his apostles, God prepares us, then He pushes us out of the nest and gives us opportunities to serve others. Someone is looking up to us and watching Jesus work in our lives. Someone is hoping that we will bring them the hope that they seek, the healing that the long for, and the love that they need.
Just as every person has the potential to be a mentor to us, each person also presents us with the opportunity to be the mentor. The goal is to leave each person we come in contact with a sense of their worth. It is important that each person knows that they are loved and that they are worth the effort to get to know. I cannot tell you how many times a smile from someone has helped lift my spirits. The fact that someone took the time to make eye contact and brighten my day can mean a lot on those really tough days.
Studying the mentor/disciple relationship has given me the desire to be better at both. Finding the balance between teacher, yet still a student, can be difficult at times. I know that I am still a work in progress. The way I see it, as long as God is putting both mentors and students in my life it shows me that He believes in me. He is giving me the chance to seek Him out in each person that I meet. He is active in my life. And He is showing me the ultimate example of a what a mentor should be. What an awesome God we have!
As I have matured I have become more aware that a mentor doesn't necessarily mean that you see each other in a teacher/student setting. A mentor can be found in each person I meet. Everyone has something to teach me. There are people that I have not actually been introduced to that have taught me some of the lessons that have stuck with me throughout my life.
I remember reading a parenting book and the author had written a story about how she would use the term 'gentlemen' when she addressed her sons. Her thought was that she would call them by the term in which she wanted them to be. I loved that thought and chose to do the same with my own sons. Almost twenty-one years later and her influence is still felt in my home.
In another instance, I remember seeing a young woman who seemed to exude class. Her countenance was bright and her composure was flawless. Oh how I longed to be like her! I am forty-five now and I am still working on being like that young woman. She has no idea of the influence she had on me that day, but I strive to be like her every day of my life.
What does it add to being a mentor when you are doing it for Christ? The Christian faith spreads person-to-person. It grows deep in mentor-disciple relationships. Every young Christian needs a mature believer to show him/her how to live like Christ. It means doing what we have seen Him do and telling others His story through our own actions, thoughts, and words. It means guiding others through challenges that could only be accomplished with God's help.
Just as God puts people in our lives to teach us, he also provides us with someone to teach. Like Christ and his apostles, God prepares us, then He pushes us out of the nest and gives us opportunities to serve others. Someone is looking up to us and watching Jesus work in our lives. Someone is hoping that we will bring them the hope that they seek, the healing that the long for, and the love that they need.
Just as every person has the potential to be a mentor to us, each person also presents us with the opportunity to be the mentor. The goal is to leave each person we come in contact with a sense of their worth. It is important that each person knows that they are loved and that they are worth the effort to get to know. I cannot tell you how many times a smile from someone has helped lift my spirits. The fact that someone took the time to make eye contact and brighten my day can mean a lot on those really tough days.
Studying the mentor/disciple relationship has given me the desire to be better at both. Finding the balance between teacher, yet still a student, can be difficult at times. I know that I am still a work in progress. The way I see it, as long as God is putting both mentors and students in my life it shows me that He believes in me. He is giving me the chance to seek Him out in each person that I meet. He is active in my life. And He is showing me the ultimate example of a what a mentor should be. What an awesome God we have!
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