As I finish my role as Senior Pastor, I am taking time to reflect on the impact of my life and teaching on the people that I have had the privilege of pastoring.
I frequently have people come up and say, “Pastor, your ministry has meant so much to me over the years.” I am not on an ego trip, but it is nice to hear that one has made a difference in the lives of others.
There are many examples of mentoring relationships in the Bible.
- Moses mentored Joshua
- Elijah mentored Elisha
- Elisa mentored King Jehoash
- Daniel mentored King Nebuchadnezzar
- Jesus mentored the twelve disciples.
- Paul mentored Timothy.
- Paul also mentored people in the churches he started. Most of his mentoring took place in the letters he wrote to the churches.
Every morning when I send out a text meditation, I feel like it is a form of mentoring. When I write a meditation for the Jubilee Weekly, it is with the idea of giving guidance and insight to those who read it. Every Sunday that I teach, my goal is to bring the people I love to maturity, with the hope that as they grow, they will influence others.
What are some of the characteristics of a mentor?
- A mentor should be a positive role model.
- A mentor will display enthusiasm and be willing to invest time and energy with the mentee.
- A mentor should have good communication skills.
- A mentor must be a person of integrity and speak the truth with love.
- A mentor needs to have the skill to resolve conflict.
- A mentor must be able to offer feedback and constructive criticism.
- A mentor should be good at networking and connecting people with other people.
- A mentor, in many ways, is a coach.
Here are some verses that speak of mentoring:
- 2 Timothy 2:2 – “You have heard me teach things that have been confirmed by many reliable witnesses. Now teach these truths to other trustworthy people who will be able to pass them on to others.”
- Titus 2:7-8 – “And you yourself must be an example to them by doing good works of every kind. Let everything you do reflect the integrity and seriousness of your teaching. 8 Teach the truth so that your teaching can’t be criticized. Then those who oppose us will be ashamed and have nothing bad to say about us.”
- 1 Peter 5:2-3 – “Care for the flock that God has entrusted to you. Watch over it willingly, not grudgingly—not for what you will get out of it, but because you are eager to serve God. 3 Don’t lord it over the people assigned to your care but lead them by your own good example.”
- Philippians 4:9 – “Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me—everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you.”
- In Deuteronomy 31:7-8 Moses said to Joshua, “Then Moses called for Joshua, and as all Israel watched, he said to him, “Be strong and courageous! For you will lead these people into the land that the Lord swore to their ancestors he would give them. You are the one who will divide it among them as their grants of land. 8 Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord will personally go ahead of you. He will be with you; he will neither fail you nor abandon you.”
- In Joshua 1:6-7, the LORD is speaking to Joshua: 6 “Be strong and courageous, for you are the one who will lead these people to possess all the land I swore to their ancestors I would give them. 7 Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the instructions Moses gave you. Do not deviate from them, turning either to the right or to the left. Then you will be successful in everything you do.
- In Matthew 11:28-30, we read of Jesus mentoring His followers: “Then Jesus said, ‘Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.”
In Matthew 28:18-20, we have a further example of Jesus mentoring when He gave the great commission. 18 Jesus came and told his disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. 19 Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. 20 Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
What comfort those words must have been to the disciples. He had spent close to three years with them, and now He was going to leave the future of His ministry in their hands. He must have thought they were ready, because it surely wasn’t His will that they fail.
Probably the greatest example of mentoring is parenting. As parents, from the moment a child is born, we begin to invest in their lives. We want to see them grow up and embrace everything we have taught them.
- In 1 Timothy 3:4, Paul wrote, “He must manage his own family well, having children who respect and obey him.”
- In Proverbs 22:6, we read, “Direct your children onto the right path, and when they are older, they will not leave it.”
Parenting is a weighty responsibility. We need to not only teach them how to make a living but also how to live. Both are important, but I believe the second is the most important. We need to let them know that God loves them and they can experience and enjoy His love by receiving Jesus as their Lord and Savior and living to please Him. If a child accepts Jesus when he/she is young, they will experience God’s favor, love others like they love themselves, and they will manifest honesty and integrity in their life’s vocation.
God bless you,
Pastor Leonard
