Stepping Up

Remember your leaders who first taught you the word of God. Think of all the good that has come from their lives, and trust the Lord as they do. Hebrews 13:7

Remembering the men who mentored me in my faith has always been easy for me. As a young man I received quality training when it came to the things of God. And I needed that training! You see, my father was a great man, but he certainly was not the best when it came to teaching me about spiritual matters. Therefore, I needed other older and wiser men to step up and take an interest in me if I was to run my life course as God had mapped it out.

Recently a young man approached me and asked, “Bill, would you mentor me this summer?” As I considered his request, it suddenly occurred to me that this young man saw me as older and wiser, and he wanted to know what I’ve learned on my journey of faith. It also occurred to me that for this young man to run God’s course for his life, he needed to be mentored.

I already understood the value of being mentored, but this young man’s request made me see the value of being a mentor. He was asking me to be a vital link in his life, believing that he would grow spiritually if he spent time with me.

I realized that it was now my turn to step up and play the same role others had played in my life. And I realized that investing my time and energy in him might make the difference between wandering through life and being focused in his walk with Christ.

But mentoring looked different from the “giving” end. It felt a lot like responsibility. I even thought of others who might be better mentors. In the end, however, I decided to do it.

Will you step up and give to others the way others have given to you?

Lord, motivate me to invest myself in those who need mentoring the way others invested themselves in me.