The Role Of A Mentor

Moses, the servant of the Lord, died there in the land of Moab, just as the Lord had said. Deuteronomy 34:5

God was undeniably strong in Moses’ life, and that turned out to be a great encouragement to his successor, Joshua. Just as God had been strong in Moses’ life, he would be strong in the life of Joshua as Joshua took over the reigns as leader of the nation of Israel.

Joshua was going to be in charge of taking God’s people through one of the most challenging transitions of their history. They had to transition from being wanderers for the past forty years to being warriors in a hostile land. Joshua had to transform the mentality of the people from that of survivors to conquerors. To ensure Joshua’s success, God promised to be with him just as he had been with Moses, who was not only a deliverer but a mentor in the life of Joshua.

We all have mentors. Some we deliberately ask to play that role in our lives. But others mentor us through their example. We see God doing great works in their lives, and we are inspired to pattern our lives after theirs. These “mentors by example” possess the skills and the confidence that stir our hearts and challenge us to greater effectiveness in our walk with Christ.

Years ago I asked Jim Conway to be my mentor because he had done many of the things I wanted to do. He had pastored a church, written books, and spoken at Christian conferences. I admired Jim Conway greatly. In fact, he was just the kind of man I wanted to be.

God is always looking for men to work through and to set examples for others. When you find that kind of man to mentor you, you can be confident that God will be just as active in your life as he has been in the life of your mentor.

Lord, help me to remember that you desire to be just as strong in my life as you have been in the lives of the men I admire most.