Mentoring: A gift of Uncommon Love

For the past several months I have been the beneficiary of the gift of spiritual mentoring.  This may sound like a foreign concept to some. Everyone knows what a mentor is.  Many people have had one. Perhaps a teacher, a coach, a superior at work who has taken you under his wing.  But far fewer people are familiar with the concept of spiritual mentoring, though why this is so I don't really know.  If you know anything about the New Testament, you can follow the greatest spiritual mentor of all time- Jesus.  Why we don't live out his example more often today is hard to understand.

Jesus spent the majority of his ministry on earth devoted to the development of the 12 Disciples who would later take the Gospel to the ends of the earth.  During his 3 year ministry he was often followed by great crowds of people.   He interacted with these as well as with the Pharisees.  But he always retreated from both with the 12.  This is where he spent his time.  He lived among and taught the 12.  Day in and day out for 3 years. For these men were the tools that would build his kingdom on earth.  Not the multitudes.  If his kingdom were to be brought about by the multitudes, then Jesus would have allowed himself to be crowned King by them as they wished, and he would have brought his kingdom in power rather than by dying a criminal's death.  No, his plan centered around equipping these 12 disciples, eleven of whom would go forward and build his kingdom on earth, empowered by the Holy Spirit.

Perhaps this is why we don't have many true disciples today.  Because the church has failed to take an active role in developing and equipping people as Jesus did.  The church no longer produces people who then go out and change the world in the name of Christ.  I am speaking of The Church Universal here, though individual churches fare no better.  You might say, well there really is no need for this today- the church has been well established.  I would disagree with you heartily.  Never, ever has there been a greater need in the world for the True Gospel of Jesus Christ. The world is hurting and broken.  The planet is suffering.  Disease and hunger are rampant.  Political strife and chaos are everywhere.  Divisions both home and abroad are deep and unyielding.  Never have we needed The Good News more.  Who will take it to the world?

The process of spiritual mentoring is one which builds true disciples.  It is the process whereby a  mature believer draws alongside a younger believer in need of development and provides one on one intense instruction and relationship.  This process is time consuming and labor intensive on both sides.  It requires the sacrificial gift of time on the part of the mentor and a willingness to dig down deep and do some intense spiritual homework on the part of the mentoree.  Uncommon transparency and trust levels are required on the part of both the mentor and the mentoree.  You enter the relationship not really knowing what will happen, where it will go, what you will learn, yet trusting the The Holy Spirit will guide your mentor as he guides you thru the process.  If done well, if done under the guidance of the Spirit, the process is life altering. And that is the whole point. To radically change the person being mentored into a mature believer who will then step into their own ministry and begin to change their world for the better.

This process for me took 4 months.  From what I have since read about spiritual mentoring relationships, the suggested amount of time for mentoring someone is the span of a year.  I got the crash course!  Never one to dilly dally around, I jumped in with both feet and began excavating.  Fortunately I had a mentor who was willing to match my intensity and give me as much of his time as I needed. Which was a lot!  It is the single greatest gift anyone has ever given me.  The things I learned and have come to understand have changed the very fabric of who I am.  And I have also come to understand that without such help it would have been impossible for me to grow the deep roots of faith which now anchor my life.

I have been very fortunate.  God sent me just the right person as a mentor. From this experience I have grown exponentially.  I am now ready and equipped to move forward as a mature believer in Christ.  I have received a gift of uncommon love.  My wish is that every person out there who is hungering for something deeper will receive the same gift.  May God bless all great mentors and teachers.  May every struggling believer find one.....Shalom!