Mentorship: Thinking Back, Looking Ahead
Last sunday, I (Yu-Ling) shared about my experience in a mentor relationship with Nolan.
I cannot overly emphasize the importance that a spiritual mentor can have in your life. I believe it's within God's plan that a community helps shape your faith. We cannot do this alone.
In the OT times, without the use of paper, the Israelites would pass down biblical truth by means of oral tradition. Meaning, the older people would gather with the younger people and share their lives, their stories, and point the youner people towards God's story.
Somewhere amongst this natural community development, people formed natural relationships between the older and the younger, between the veteran and the rookie, and definitely between mentor and mentee.
We see the mentor relationship develop between Jesus and his disciples. We see it developed between Moses and Joshua. And on sunday, I shared about Paul and Timothy's mentoring relationship.
2 TIMOTHY
We spent some time in 2 Timothy and we could see how a lifelong mentorship can lead to great things. Through a time of service and mentorship together, Paul and Timothy have grown to become more than mentor/mentee. Let's take a look at what the state of their relationship had become at the time when Paul wrote this letter (possibly his last letter).
We'll just look at the beginning and the ending of the book, but I challenge you to read the whole book and see if you can spot any other mentoring inferences.
1:2 Paul addresses Timothy as his beloved child.
1:3 Paul constantly prays for Timothy every night and day.
1:4 Paul recalls Timothy's tears and he takes comfort in that memory.
1:4 Paul longs to see Timothy so that he may be filled with joy.
1:5 Paul is reminded of Timothy's faith and he sees the same faith in Timothy that he saw in Timothy's mom and grandmother. He knows Tim's family so well that he can make such a statement.
--- fast forward to end of the book ---
4:9 Paul asks Timothy to do his best to go to him soon.
4:13 Paul asks Timothy to bring his cloack and books and parchments that he left in various places. These are personal items that only a close friend could locate.
4:21 Paul asks Timothy to do his best to go to him before winter. This is his second plea to ask Timothy to come to him.
From this letter, we can see that Paul and Timothy have transformed their mentor/mentee relationship into something more. It's come to the point that Paul looks to Timothy for help as a older grandfather would look to his strong adult son to help comfort him. It must've been great joy for Paul to hear that Timothy is carrying on Paul's work and expanding it.
And so, I have to say this again: I believe that a mentoring relationship is vital for our spiritual journeys.
Please continue to pray and actively search for one.
I cannot overly emphasize the importance that a spiritual mentor can have in your life. I believe it's within God's plan that a community helps shape your faith. We cannot do this alone.
In the OT times, without the use of paper, the Israelites would pass down biblical truth by means of oral tradition. Meaning, the older people would gather with the younger people and share their lives, their stories, and point the youner people towards God's story.
Somewhere amongst this natural community development, people formed natural relationships between the older and the younger, between the veteran and the rookie, and definitely between mentor and mentee.
We see the mentor relationship develop between Jesus and his disciples. We see it developed between Moses and Joshua. And on sunday, I shared about Paul and Timothy's mentoring relationship.
2 TIMOTHY
We spent some time in 2 Timothy and we could see how a lifelong mentorship can lead to great things. Through a time of service and mentorship together, Paul and Timothy have grown to become more than mentor/mentee. Let's take a look at what the state of their relationship had become at the time when Paul wrote this letter (possibly his last letter).
We'll just look at the beginning and the ending of the book, but I challenge you to read the whole book and see if you can spot any other mentoring inferences.
1:2 Paul addresses Timothy as his beloved child.
1:3 Paul constantly prays for Timothy every night and day.
1:4 Paul recalls Timothy's tears and he takes comfort in that memory.
1:4 Paul longs to see Timothy so that he may be filled with joy.
1:5 Paul is reminded of Timothy's faith and he sees the same faith in Timothy that he saw in Timothy's mom and grandmother. He knows Tim's family so well that he can make such a statement.
--- fast forward to end of the book ---
4:9 Paul asks Timothy to do his best to go to him soon.
4:13 Paul asks Timothy to bring his cloack and books and parchments that he left in various places. These are personal items that only a close friend could locate.
4:21 Paul asks Timothy to do his best to go to him before winter. This is his second plea to ask Timothy to come to him.
From this letter, we can see that Paul and Timothy have transformed their mentor/mentee relationship into something more. It's come to the point that Paul looks to Timothy for help as a older grandfather would look to his strong adult son to help comfort him. It must've been great joy for Paul to hear that Timothy is carrying on Paul's work and expanding it.
And so, I have to say this again: I believe that a mentoring relationship is vital for our spiritual journeys.
Please continue to pray and actively search for one.
posted by Yu-Ling at
6:40 PM
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