One Life – Mentoring parts 2,3 – Marriage and Family

One of the most obvious indications of an intimate relationship with God that we might observe as we evaluate potential mentors are qualities of their marriage and family lives. The family is God’s smallest church unit and individual intimacy with God developed through the disciplines of consistent time in His Word, prayer, and meditation produce and model an understanding and commitment to the application of His ways in marriage and family life. A husband who loves his wife as Christ loves His Church and sets aside his desires to serve her needs and a wife who is an equal but submitting partner, and children that are blossoming but well-behaved are the normal fruit of a godly marriage in most cases. I say in most cases because we can’t put God in a box and in some cases we...

One Life – Step One, Finding A Godly Mentor

In choosing a mentor, or in examining ourselves to explore the possibility of our being a mentor to others, the first quality or place to look is in the area of intimacy with God. Everything of true value in life flows from God. You and I and all who serve Him are merely delivery vehicles or conduits. All His children have the potential to be both positive or negative conduits. We can either allow the Spirit of God or the spirit of the world to flow through us to others. At best we are a mix of both. The only perfect conduit was and is Jesus, the Perfect One, who only did what the Father was doing and said what He was saying. We see through a glass darkly. We strive to allow Him to conform us to His image but it’s a battle and the battle ebbs and flows. Our ability to mentor others...

One Life – 7 Qualities of a Highly Effective Mentor

Mentoring is a hugely effective relational process that engages one person more mature or experienced with another in order to encourage and strengthen the younger or less experienced. Men and women both mentor effectively and best within their own sex, but there are some exceptions which carry obvious dangers when engaged. Mentoring is very different from teaching as mentoring flows from life experience combined with knowledge and need not be academic to be effective. Teachers impart knowledge, mentors impart life. Teaching may or may not edify, mentoring always edifies. Mentoring is a voluntary relationship that is a heart connection at its base between mentor and mentored. Most often a mentoring relationship is initiated by the one seeking to be mentored. Today we suffer a great void...