November 2015

of Christ”. Then he goes on to say, in Philippians
4:9, “Whatever you have learned or received or
heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice”.
Basically, he is saying, “Let me mentor
you. Let me be your role model.” Throughout the
course of the New Testament, Paul keeps reminding
Christians to follow the mentorship, especially
to the new Christians in Thessalonica. In 2
Thessalonians 3:7 Paul says “For you yourselves
know how you ought to follow our example”. Live
by example, teach others, and model what it is to
be a Christian. These are some of the aspects of
mentoring which are vital in emerging completely
fervent followers of Jesus Christ and in spreading
the conviction from one generation to the next.
With the model in mind, it goes without saying that
if mentors expect others to listen and follow what
they say, then they should do what they say as
well. Although the saying “do what I say, not what
I do”, is very popular and common it goes against
the Christian view of mentorship and could completely
destroy the mentor and any advice previously
given.
Jesus and the apostles weren’t the only mentors
during the Biblical times. The heads of the church
also mentored others. As it is said in 1 Peter 5:3,
“Be examples to the flock”. Paul explained in Acts
20 what mentorship should be by telling the elders
in Ephesus “You know how I lived the whole time
I was with you.” By watching the example set by
Jesus and further shown through Paul, it becomes
clear that any Christian who claims to be a leader
and is not mentoring someone, then they are not
living out their life up to the calling of The Lord.
The Lord filled the church with many people of all
ages, gifts, and experiences. The church leaders
simply cannot mentor everyone they meet. For
this reason, there are many other people within
the church who can disciple and mentor others.
While it is not possible for everyone to individually
and purposefully, mentor others through hands-on
activities, everyone can help out by seeking out
and finding godly mentors. With the rising rates of
born-again Christians, it becomes necessary that
churches start equipping their members with the
knowledge and tools necessary to mentor others.
Most Christians agree with the insight and benefits
of mentoring. Throughout Titus, Paul encourages
the church to mentor other generations. This
can be seen most clearly in Titus 2:3-5,”Likewise,
teach the older women to be reverent in the way
they live, not to be slanderers or addicted to much
wine, but to teach what is good. Then they can
urge the younger women to love their husbands
and children, to be self-controlled and pure, to
be busy at home, to be kind, and to be subject
to their husbands, so that no one will malign the
word of God.” Through this example, we can see
that Paul wished that the older more wise women
would explain and be an example for godliness in
the church.
Many people desire a mentor, both young woman
and young men. The difference is that men find
it harder to admit they need or want help. Older
women, statistically, have a hard time with mentoring
because they generally feel unqualified,
disconcerted and afraid of over committing. The
qualities of a good mentor are not absurdly hard,
but simply a love for God and a love for people.
Here are a few qualities of an effective and beneficial
mentoring relationship.
Be accessible
You do not have to be a Biblical scholar or a
pastor, but you should love The Lord and desire
to follow and abide by His Holy Word, the Bible.
There are no special degrees that will qualify you
to be a disciple. Younger generations need the
experience, endurance, and example from the
older generations. Timely and godly advice can
make the difference for any believer at any given
level. Discipleship is best done by breaking up the
genders. Men cannot be mothers, daughters or
wives and women cannot be fathers, sons, or husbands.
Women need women and men need men
for mentorships. When it comes to deciding if you
are ready for a multitude of decision, the best way,
can sometimes be praying about the upcoming
decision. However, mentorship is a command and
as said by Norma Becker, member of the board of
directions of Campus Crusade for Christ, Canada,
“We don’t pray about commands.” Praying can
help when pursuing discernment over how often
and how long to mentor someone.
Be persistent
Understand what the mentored is seeking and
desiring. Do they simply want a relationship built
on Jesus or do they wish to better understand