Mentoring

Iron sharpens iron,
So one man sharpens another.

Proverbs 27:17

When I became a Christian during my freshman year of college, a Christian who was a senior started to meet with me and another young convert on a weekly basis.

Rick gave us homework, prayed for us and with us, and let us ask questions about whatever during the coming months. I don’t remember how many months we met, but I was left with the distinct impression that being discipled was meant to be a norm.

During the next couple of years, I got involved with a campus ministry whereby I learned better how to share my faith with my peers and in churches.  Again, I had Christians speaking into my life, and I thought that was the norm.

From God’s vantage point, it was/is His norm, but it was/is not a part of the vast majority of my Christian brothers and sisters lives.  This saddens me as I have encountered many Christians who have unnecessarily floundered in their spiritual walk because they did not have someone to talk with about matters of faith.

This is not always easy.  It is fraught with difficulties.  It is hard to bare our souls. While we crave authentic relationships, we have trouble dealing with past hurts.

Fortunately we don’t have to pick one way over another.  In spite of the numerous plans that are out there on mentoring,  we know that God’s way is best (Proverbs 19:21).

We are praying, believing, interacting with one another in prayer and fellowship and workdays, while keeping our eyes opened to see what God will do next.