“The object of mentoring is not perfection but improvement. Don’t feel as if you have to be flawless before you can begin to impart your wisdom and skill to others.”
John Maxwell
We see throughout the Bible, examples of mentoring relationships. Moses mentored Joshua and Paul mentored Timothy. The Apostle Paul encouraged his “son” Timothy to mentor in 2 Timothy 2:1: “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.”
The making of a mentor within me has evolved over the years. Initially, I’d plan our sessions which included reading a book together and writing discussion questions emphasizing the application of the truths within the book. I also wanted to help care for their emotional hurts and losses by taking them through the Fresh Start booklet, Processing the Issues of the Heart.
I confess that initially, I spent more time in my preparation and trusting in myself and my performance whereas now my preparation time is spent praying, soaking, and listening to God’s voice for a word for the mentee. My trust is firmly planted in the belief that God is the ultimate Mentor. The Holy Spirit is our Guide, the One who leads the mentoring meetings.
Each meeting is an invitation to mystery, as I wonder how the Holy Spirit will direct us, what topics we will discuss, and where the Spirit-inspired questions and prophetic words will lead us. I have no idea where we will go or how we will get there, yet I trust it will be a wonderful adventure with God. The Holy Spirit is the driver, while the mentee and I are passengers.
I give them the gift of my presence by holding their space, listening to their hearts, and
continually listening to God on their behalf. I hold their thoughts and desires in my heart and prayers until we meet again. Over time the Holy Spirit helps me connect the dots from their past to the present. I listen without judgment and ask them questions to help them process what is in their hearts and minds, with the goal of transformation by leading them back to God. I hope they encounter God and experience Him in their daily lives.
I'm grateful for the Holy Spirit's training process and how He's evolved my mentoring abilities. Keep growing in mentoring and allow God to make you into the mentor He wants you to be.
“Also, realize that the underlying purpose of mentoring is not for people to act differently but rather to become different. Such a change certainly doesn’t happen overnight; the process is evolutionary, not revolutionary.”
John Maxwell
Relevant Reflection: 1. How has your mentoring evolved into what it is today?
Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay
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