Mentoring is when someone with more experience pours time and energy into the development of another. We often think of it in the professional world, but how many of us think about it in our faith life?

Both of my son’s have benefited from others assisting in their faith walk. My youngest has had the opportunity to formalize it in his life. A wise gentleman from our church has begun meeting with him weekly. They have really connected and have started reading the book of John together. This is all music to a mom’s heart. Then his mentor took it a step further. He picked my son up at 6:00 am on a Saturday morning to participate in serving others through free and low-cost car repairs. Yes, my sleep loving, teenage son was enthusiastically up and ready to at 6:00 am on a Saturday. He had a great morning learning how to change oil, put in a radiator and more. As a mechanics daughter, seeing him come home with grease stained hands warmed my heart. My son can’t wait to do it again.

They are building a relationship that is imbedded in scripture and living out the call to serve others.  It reminds me of the relationship between the Apostle Paul and Timothy. Paul was Timothy’s mentor in faith and service. Here is some of the best mentoring advise Paul gives.

11 Command and teach these things. 12 Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity. 13 Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to preaching and to teaching. 14 Do not neglect your gift, which was given you through prophecy when the body of elders laid their hands on you.

15 Be diligent in these matters; give yourself wholly to them, so that everyone may see your progress. 16 Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers. (1 Timothy 4:11-16 NIV).

A mentor does more than spend time with another. A mentor invests in another. They give a piece of themselves to grow in someone else. Do you need a mentor? Do you need to someone to invest in you? Maybe, there is someone you should be investing in.

Mentoring is a beautiful way for us to breathe life and bring hope to others in our communities. It is a beautiful way to live out scripture. It is time for me to think about my investments as more than money. I am deeply considering how and who I am investing in. Will you join me?

Share your mentoring stories here and breathe life and bring hope to others.