Bringing Your Faith Into Focus - Day 2

Today's devotional is adapted from the Life Development Sermon Series at Lifechurch.tv by Craig Groeshel.

For this reason I am sending to you Timothy, my son whom I love, who is faithful in the Lord. He will remind you of my way of life in Christ Jesus, which agrees with what I teach everywhere in every church. 1 Corinthians 4:17

God is a relational God. He created you as a relational being. When Jesus came to earth, He exemplified relationships like no other. He selected twelve men and poured His life into them. These men, empowered by the Holy Spirit, impacted the world. The legacy of their ministry continues today. Why were they so effective?

Because Jesus, our example, was the greatest mentor who ever lived. The word mentor is derived from the Greek word that means “enduring,” referring to an enduring relationship between an older person and a younger person. The Bible details many relationships like this. One of the most well-known examples is Paul, who was Timothy’s mentor.

How do you find a mentor? Start by praying. Ask God to bring the right person or people into your life. Next, ask others. Ask people in your LifeGroup or people you serve with to recommend wise and experienced leaders they think might be willing to help you grow. Qualify potential mentors by asking yourself if you have a well-rounded respect for them. Do they have sustained success? Do you like them? Before actually asking them to personally mentor you, do a heart check. Ask yourself why you want this particular person to mentor you. Is it because he has
an important position? Finally, once you’ve determined your motives are pure, go ahead and ask.

Here are some suggestions to consider:

• As you seek a potential mentor, approach him or her in a casual setting. If you don’t know him well, set an appointment at his convenience. Tell him why you admire and respect him and that you would like to learn from him. Ask him point blank if he would consider being your mentor.
• If this person agrees to be your mentor, decide before your next meeting with him what you would like to learn. Then watch. Study everything, and take notes. If he travels, ask if you can travel with him sometime. If possible, have your mentor observe you in your work environment.
• Pray together.

My top ten suggested questions to ask a mentor are:
1. What are the five books that have most influenced your life?
2. How do you stay balanced and healthy?
3. What are three things you would do differently if you had life to do over again?
4. What are the three most important things you do with your time?
5. What are some of your failures, and how did you overcome them?
6. How do you hire great people?
7. What potential do you see in me?
8. What are my blind spots?
9. What do you do that keeps you growing?
10. How can I serve and bless you?

Remember, God is a relational God, and He loves to use His people to lead others. If you’re young, please seek a mentor. If God has blessed you with wisdom, experience and age, please be available to pass along what God has taught you. Together, we will become fully devoted followers of Christ.


Next Steps for Today:

• Spend some time asking God to bring the mentor of His choice into your life.
• Proverbs 27:17 says, “As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.” Before you begin a mentoring relationship, think about this: Are you truly willing to be “sharpened”—to accept God’s wisdom, spoken through another person? If your honest answer is “no,” that’s okay! BUT, spend time today asking the Lord to soften your heart in this area, making you able to receive His Truth.
• Is God calling you to be a mentor? Yield to His call to bless others in this way and in return, receive an inevitable blessing. Begin today taking steps towards building that mentoring relationship with someone the Lord is leading you toward.

Prayer for Today:
Father, please grow us into people who are refl ecting You more and more in our lives. Please form relationships in our lives that will cause that to happen. Please reveal to us Your purpose in relationships that already exist, and please bring new people into our lives to guide and direct us. Let us glorify Your Name together!