Yesterday, my best friend Lori and I went clothes shopping. The trip was primarily for me, as I have been working on losing weight and need clothes that fit my new size. Lori, as a former model, is not only beautiful, but also very knowledgeable about fashion and what clothes look good on people. So she went with me to our favorite store to help me pick out clothes that would flatter my figure.
I loved having her with me, not just because she’s my best friend, but also for her expertise in this area. With her there, I felt confident that I would come home with clothes that fit my budget (she’s budget-conscious like I am) as well as fit my body and made me look and feel good. Since Lori is also honest, I knew that if I picked out something that wouldn’t really look good on me, she would tactfully say so.
In other words, Lori was my mentor yesterday in an area of life that is important to me. But there’s another area of my life that’s far more important than clothes, and that is the area of spiritual things. Because spiritual things are so important, I want a mentor in that area too, even more than I do when picking out what to wear.
Most of us would benefit from having a spiritual mentor in our lives. A spiritual mentor is someone who is farther along in the faith than we are and can help guide us along the path. This woman will be more mature than we are and will know us (or come to know us) well. She will speak truth into our lives and rebuke us when necessary; she will walk with us through our struggles and share some of her struggles as well. She’ll be that person we can lean on when we need godly guidance, comfort, wisdom, or encouragement. She’ll check on us when it’s been awhile since we’ve talked, yet she’ll also be sure we maintain regular contact with each other. In short, she will truly care about us and be willing to invest her life in us and in our spiritual growth.
Does it sound wonderful to have a woman like that involved in our lives? It truly is. I have been blessed with more than one mentor with whom I can be completely honest and completely myself, and receive from her nothing but understanding, support, and encouragement.
It may be that you also have such a mentor. If you do, thank God for your mentor, and then thank her for all she does for you. If you don’t, you might consider one of two possibilities. The first possibility is that God might want you to mentor someone else. Maybe He wants you to come alongside somebody in the way I’ve described and help her know Him better. Or, the second possibility, maybe He wants you to pray, asking Him to send a mentor into your life.
It’s possible that right now, this is a season for you to walk on your own. But it’s also possible that God has a wonderful woman in mind to mentor you like we’ve talked about. If you need any further ideas on how to look for a mentor or whether you should ask someone, or if you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact me. It’s what I’m here for. I’d love to encourage you.
Titus 2:3-4—Older women likewise are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers or slaves to much wine. They are to teach what is good, and so train the young women to love their husbands and children. (ESV)
Thank you!
Funny, I just emailed you about this very thing yesterday. And it’s so very true. As a fairly new mom, I have learned I do not need just mom mentors, and life in general, but also spiritual ones. It’s not been the easiest thing to get to church as of late, and I need guidance from spiritual people to help make sure that I am not only learning and growing myself, but so that I am raising my Autumn in the Word as well.
I will pray for you, that God will send you just the right person to mentor you.