The Value of Mentoring

‘Don’t let anyone think less of you because you are young. Be an example to all believers in what you say, in the way you live, in your love, your faith, and your purity’ (1Tim 4:12).

‘Wisdom determines the success of your life. There are two ways to receive Wisdom: mistakes or mentors’ (Mike Murdock).Mentors are the difference between poverty and prosperity; decrease and increase; loss and gain; pain and pleasure; deterioration and restoration." Merriam-Webster defines a mentor as "a trusted counselor or guide." 

For their Mentor/Protégé Program, the Anesthesiology Department of Cleveland’s Metro Health System defines a mentor as "a wise, loyal advisor or coach." Professionals in the fields of law, architecture and medicine all practice mentoring. In times past, boys were taught to farm and hunt and girls used to go through puberty rites in other parts of the world, all with the motive of mentoring the younger generation. 

Every sports man needs a coach or mentor, similarly, any one who is dreaming of success needs a mentor, therefore seek a mentor. A grey haired person may not have anything but experience. Build on the foundations laid by the fathers and learn from their experiences. Through mentoring one receives knowledge that was acquired in a life time, and the ceilings of mentors become the foundations of protégés or mentees. ‘A protégé is an enthusiastic learner. The Uncommon Protégé will invest everything to stay in the presence of the uncommon mentor (Mike Murdock). ‘A wise man will hear, and will increase learning; and a man of understanding shall attain unto wise counsels’ (Prov 1:5).

There are many people around us with undiscovered and un-nurtured potentials. God has endowed them with unique potentials, but these potentials are going waste, because they haven’t discovered their potentials them selves and the few that have, don’t know how to turn their dreams into a reality. Many leaders are quick to go after the fruits in people, but only a few are sensitive enough to discover the seed in an individual and patient enough to nature it into fruition. Mentoring is crucial for growth and development in every society. success without a successor does not last. Going through Church History, most of the revivals that did not last were partly due to the lack of mentoring. So Jethro told Moses, ‘If you do this thing, and God socommands you, then you will be able to endure, and all this people will also go to their place in peace" (Exod18:23). Elijah and Elisha also had a mentor/protégé relationship. Mentoring was also practiced in the early church. In 1Thes 2:7 Paul said'...we were gentle among you, like a mother caring for her little children’. Paul and Timothy’s relationship is viewed by many, as a mentor/protégé relationship.

As a parent you are the first mentor in your children’s lives. ‘As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth. Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them: they shall not be ashamed, but they shall speak with the enemies in the gate’ (Psalm 127:4,5).

The future of the church rest on the next generation of leadership, ‘everything rises and falls on leadership’. Circular singers like Justin Timberlake are mentoring and grooming the next generation of singers, is the Universal church mentoring or grooming the next generation of leaders? ‘Now there was no smith found throughout all the land of Israel: for the Philistines said, lest the Hebrews make them swords or spears:’ (1 Sam 13:19). As a leader may you be a blacksmith in the kingdom of God, preparing the next generation of leaders by sharpening their swords. The next topic of study is ‘How to find a mentor’.