“Mentor” We hear that word a lot. It’s everywhere.  What does it mean?  The dictionary defines it as “a wise and trusted counselor or teacher; an influential senior sponsor or supporter; (v.) to act as a mentor”.  Most people would say they know what it means, but when it comes to actually mentoring others or being mentored by them, we may be clueless.  It seems vague. 

I (and “we” as CNL) believe it is one of the most neglected relationships of our culture.  On the whole, we are failing at teaching and intentionally building into the people around us who want and need to grow in areas of their lives.  And as we all need to be continually growing, we are also failing at seeking out those people from whom we may learn.  I think most of us are afraid of these types of relationships. It takes some level of vulnerability, doesn’t it?  Does the Bible speak about mentoring?   Although the term “mentor” may not be used, Yes!

“Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God.” Colossians 3:16

“For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you have need again for someone to teach you the elementary principles of the oracles of God, and have come to need milk and not solid food.” Hebrews 5:12

Doesn’t this speak to the idea that we should mature and teach others?  It’s expected. That implies there are those who are being fed.  There are many others that speak of teaching, of encouraging, and exhorting.  They all mean a relationship. How do we do it?  What does it look like?  Do we have that kind of time?  Isn’t that what we all think about first?

Below is a copy of an article from a lifeway.com newsletter that communicates this idea and begins to answer those questions.

Selections from Titus 2   “Older women are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers, not addicted to much wine. They are to teach what is good, so that they may encourage the young women to love their husbands and children, to be sensible, pure, good homemakers, and submissive to their husbands, so that God's message will not be slandered.” “For the grace of God has appeared, with salvation for all people, instructing us to deny godlessness and worldly lusts and to live in a sensible, righteous, and godly way in the present age, while we wait for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ.”  Titus 2

“Why should today's young people have to learn their lessons the hard way, when we've already walked so many of the same pathways, felt so many of the same pressures, seen so many of the Lord's promises come true? So many of them need us so much.

Few of us really think we have a lot to say to others. Our lives, because they're ours, the only eyes we've ever looked through can seem quite ordinary, uneventful, unimportant. But we have something we can share- things no one else has seen quite the way we've seen them. Even our fears and failures, even the ones we struggle with at this very moment are object lessons that have much to teach, to reveal, to inspire. We can't do everything, but can we do anything more valuable than invest ourselves in another?

Look At It This Way

My dear Mom Cunningham schooled me not in a class or seminar, or even primarily by her words. It was what she was that taught me. It was her availability to God. It was the surrender of her time. It was her readiness to get involved, to lay down her life for one anxious Bible school girl. Above all, she herself, a simple Scottish woman, was the message.

Think of the vast number of older women today. We live longer now than we did forty years ago. There is more mobility, more money around, more leisure, more health and strength resources which, if put at God's disposal, might bless younger women. But there are also many more ways to spend those resources, so we find it very easy to occupy ourselves selfishly. Where are the women, single or married, willing to hear God's call to spiritual motherhood, taking spiritual daughters under their wings to school them as Mom Cunningham did me? She had no training the world would recognize. She simply loved God and was willing to be broken bread and poured-out wine for his sake. Retirement never crossed her mind.”- Elisabeth Elliot

Don’t we all long for that kind of relationship, no matter our age or stage in life?  I know I do! I want to be mentored and I want to mentor others. We don’t have to wait until we are older, there are always younger women.  Do you feel the call?  Is this something God might be leading you to seek out or do?

Answering the call,
Shala Nolan