Everyone needs mentors in their lives.
As a child, you were mentored by your first teachers, your parents. You learned so many things from them, some good and some bad. You observed how they did life. Unconsciously, at first, you mimicked them until you were old enough to think for yourself. You had the choice to follow in your parents footsteps, or to make changes.
Hopefully, along life's journey you have found, or are finding, other mentors to help you live your life. Perhaps you had a pastor or a teacher that inspired change in you. Perhaps your mentors might be writers or speakers whose message just spoke to you. They might be co-workers or perhaps a friend who provided such an example so you began to imitate what you so admired.
I've had many mentors in my life but the first one that comes to mind is Sister Barb. Her husband was one of the former pastors at my home church. Sister Barb lived in our town for exactly one year but she taught me a lifetime of lessons. You can read all about her in my post, Hugs to Sister Barb.
I hope to do for someone else what Sister Barb did for me. You know, mentoring is actually a biblical principal. Titus speaks of it in the New Testament:
Older women likewise are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers or slaves to much wine. They are to teach what is good, and so train the young women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled. Titus 2:3-5 ESV
The actual word mentor is not used but teaching and training means just that. And of course, that is not the only example. Moses had Joshua, Paul had his Timothy, and the best example of mentoring was Christ and the disciples.
For a mentoring relationship to work, first, we must have a teachable spirit. I sure don't know it all, and I love to learn better ways to do and be and live.
What about you? Have you ever been in a mentoring relationship? What are some of the benefits? What are some of the pitfalls? We'd love to hear your story today at The Loft, a hangout of Christian bloggers who are building community.
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This Week's Prompt: Mentors
October 21 Prompt: Autumn
October 28 Prompt: A Picture Prompt
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http://www.inlinkz.com/new/view.php?id=571829" title="click to view in an external page.">An InLinkz Link-up
Good Morning, Jerralea...I was picked to be a mentor for 5 freshman this semester...and guess what, one of the mentee's is going to be my Spanish tutor...how the tables have turned, Smiles. Thanks for the smiles, have a lovely day. Blessings
ReplyDeleteI have been so blessed by the women that God has brought into my life as mentors. When my dear friend and mentor passed away several years ago, I felt in my heart the nudge of the Spirit saying that it was time to step up to the plate and be available to others in that way. Well, I certainly have not lived up to anything like my friend did, but God has given me opportunities to teach and get to know several of the young women in my church, and now I have a lovely daughter-in-love as well! Blessings, Jerralea! Thanks for your words of wisdom here!
ReplyDeleteI have been blessed to be both, mentored and a mentor. Both have been such rewarding experiences.
ReplyDeleteBetty
What a great post! I'm in a time crunch right now but I do want to read your post about Barb your mentor. I will come back!! Yes, I have had 2 very good mentors in my life (4 if you count 2 of my college professors that spoke into my life (I went to a Christian college for undergrad). And I've been a mentor twice...am currently mentoring someone in fact although she isn't that much younger than me!! And I feel that now that my oldest daughter is 22 and living at home as she still doesn't have a full time job in her field of study, that I am more of her mentor lately :) God bless you Jerralea. I hope to join in on this Loft series at some point. Autumn is a super busy time for me..........
ReplyDelete