Learning To Mentor Others

In summary of Job 8:8 it says, “Ask the previous generation. Pay attention to the experience of our ancestors.”

Bottom Line:

Ask those who are older, pay attention to their experiences.

What this means to me:

I’m am to inquire of those who are older, I’m to pay attention to their experiences and consider what they searched out and found.  I’m at the age now where I’m considered an older generation to the younger folks in my congregation.  God would want me to use my experiences to mentor others.  What I’m finding is that mentoring is far more intentional than simply ministering to somebody when he’s hurting or motivating him when he’s down or giving him an example. Mentoring is when I actually take an interest in a person’s life and commit to helping him along.  1 John 1:3 says, “We saw it, we heard it, and now we’re telling you so you can experience it along with us” (MSG).  A mentor is simply an experienced, trusted counselor or guide. When I look for a mentor, I look for experience, perspective, and somebody who I can trust.  A mentor is my like a personal coach. Everybody needs a personal coach and needs to be a personal coach. A Personal coach would bring out the best in me. They would see things in me that I don’t see in yourself. A mentor would help you with three areas: role, goal, and soul. What do you do in life? What are you accomplishing in life? And, what are you becoming in life?  A Mentor helps you become what you can become.  The Bible says in Proverbs 25:12, “A warning given by an experienced person to someone willing to listen is more valuable than gold rings or jewelry” (TEV).  Rick Warren in his one of his daily devotions says this about mentors.  “No matter how successful you are or how successful you think you are, you always need a mentor. You’ll need one the rest of your life. It’s how you get to the top. You’ve got to have people who are speaking into your life.”  Job 32:7 says, “Age should speak and experience should teach wisdom” (GW).  In summary, I’m at that age now where I should be teaching others, sharing my experiences. I should seek out those younger to help mentor.