Who we follow matters.
In the beginning of my walk with Jesus, the Lord placed me alongside some very on fire, Spirit-led, mature and sold-out for Jesus believers. It shaped who I am today. Very quickly I learnt things in the Kingdom, most new believers would take many years to learn and grasp.
I am thankful that the Lord aligned me with these people.
1 Thessalonians 3:10 Night and day we pray most earnestly that we may see you again and supply what is lacking in your faith
Its important to learn from mature believers whose faith has stood the test of time. They have walked with the Lord for years and they are marked by steadfastness and wisdom. They seek pleasure by seeking God – who rejoices with the psalmist “In Your Presence is fullness of Joy” Psalm 16:11.
Typically mature believers overflow with warmth and kindness that comes from years of sitting in the Presence of God.
They will speak with wisdom and faithful instruction will be on their tongue because they have regularly spent time reading the bible and they have let the Word transform their minds…the Word will naturally overflow into their conversations. Their life words and affections are increasingly marked by a passionate love and devotion for Jesus.
Years ago, I was receiving numerous prophecies about being a mother to many.
1 Thess 2:7 Just as a nursing mother cares for her children, so we cared for you. Because we loved you so much , we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well.
Over the years the Lord has grown a passionate desire in my heart to see others fulfil their destiny in Christ. It gives me such great satisfaction to see others walking in their heavenly high calling.
Iv also seen that people need mentors. They need a champion. Someone who will see their giftin in Christ and recognise the call upon their life and journey with them to see them through into that which they have been set apart for in the Kingdom.
Personal mentoring involves private meetings one on one to listen, encourage, exhort, pray for, prophesy and share wisdom as well as guide through the school of the Spirit that the Lord takes us through.
As the Lord has led me to start Personal Mentoring with people I can boldly say:
1 Cor 11:1 “ Follow my example as I follow the example of Christ”
In 2 Kings 11 Joash was rescued from Queen Athaliah and raised and mentored in the ways of the Lord by his uncle Jehoiada.
“Joash did what was right in the eyes of the Lord all the years Jehoiada instructed him.”
Mentoring is an ongoing relationship built on respect and trust with a view to bring out the best in the one being counselled, coached, shepherded and instructed.
Deliberate mentoring and purposeful shepherding is in fact a very critical part of the New Testament Pattern for brothers and sisters.
1 Thess 2:11 For you know that we dealt with each of you as a father deals with his own children, encouraging , comforting, and urging you to live lives worthy of God, who calls you into His kingdom and glory.
Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.” (1 Thessalonians 5:11, NIV)
Jesus and Peter
Jesus only spent three years of his life in public ministry. While this period of time is well-known for the miracles and other significant events, much of His focus was on the relationship he had with his disciples.
Jesus taught them everything they needed to follow Him for a lifetime. But most importantly, He taught them in a way that enabled them to teach everyone else they came into contact with.
Jesus knew He could not mentor everybody personally. So He chose twelve men whose responsibility was to multiply themselves by passing everything He taught them on to others, who would pass on to others still.
Jesus also walked through the ups and downs of life with his disciples. This is probably most obvious in the life of Peter.
Peter was hotheaded and impulsive. He was one of Jesus’ closest friends, and yet the night that Jesus was on trial before He died, Peter emphatically denied He was Jesus’ friend to a group of people. At the moment Jesus needed Him the most, Peter put himself first. And yet, after Jesus died and came back to life, He met up with Peter to restore their relationship.
Jesus helped Peter grow in character by walking with him through failures and disappointments, which strengthened Peter’s faith.
Jesus told Peter, “You are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it” Matthew 16:18
He also told Peter (who was also called Simon), “I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers” Luke 22:32,
After Jesus met with Peter and told him He was forgiven and loved, Peter did become a leader of the early church.
Barnabas and Paul
In the book of Acts, we see several other great examples of mentoring relationships.
The apostle Paul, who was also called Saul, wrote much of the New Testament. He was mentored by Barnabas in the context of their journeys as missionaries. These two men spent time investing in some of the earliest Christian churches, passing on whatever they knew about following Jesus.
They lived with the church in Antioch for a year, where they taught the new believers the basics of Christianity. In fact, Barnabas sought Paul out for the task. Acts 11:25-26 says, “Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul, and when he found him, he brought him to Antioch. So for a whole year, Barnabas and Saul met with the church and taught great numbers of people. The disciples were called Christians first at Antioch”
Paul and Timothy
After his relationship with Barnabas ended, Paul brought Timothy, whom he was mentoring, with him on his journeys. They were so close that Paul calls him “my son” in 2 Timothy 1:2.
Having a heart to help people grow and imparting the wisdom you’ve been taught is one of the foundations of Christian mentoring.
