MENTORING
“Music, Meaning, and Mentoring”: this is a really great post by Russell Moore about the nature of mentoring. It is something that many Christian men long to have happen in their lives (witness the posts by Tim Challies —A Desperate Jealousy & A Desperate Jealousy - Further Thoughts from last year), but so many do not have.
Why is mentoring in such short supply? Well, partly, I suspect, because so many of the generation of Christian leaders from the generation before mine (I’m a boomer) were not mentored and they did not know how to do it with others. Then today so many men feel so rushed for time—and mentoring takes time, time to be with others and pour into their lives and have their lives impact you.
One model here biblically here is 2 Timothy 3:10-11. Here is what is happening in mentoring and as you can easily see it takes time.
One thing that I have been especially reminded of with regard to this whole subject is that I also need to be involved in mentoring my kids. There is no excuse for that not happening! I still remembering reading of the great Christian historian Herbert Butterfield, how one of the greatest impacts on his life were nightly walks after dinner with his father.
HT: Justin Taylor
Why is mentoring in such short supply? Well, partly, I suspect, because so many of the generation of Christian leaders from the generation before mine (I’m a boomer) were not mentored and they did not know how to do it with others. Then today so many men feel so rushed for time—and mentoring takes time, time to be with others and pour into their lives and have their lives impact you.
One model here biblically here is 2 Timothy 3:10-11. Here is what is happening in mentoring and as you can easily see it takes time.
One thing that I have been especially reminded of with regard to this whole subject is that I also need to be involved in mentoring my kids. There is no excuse for that not happening! I still remembering reading of the great Christian historian Herbert Butterfield, how one of the greatest impacts on his life were nightly walks after dinner with his father.
HT: Justin Taylor
Thanks for the link to Moore’s Mentor article. I am a fan of Card and it is no wonder (from the depth and profundity of his music and lyrics) that he experienced such discipleship from a godly mentor. As Moore implies, a mentor does more than teach a young man what to believe and why, he shows a young man how to live. Lessons are so much more powerful when they are shown, not told. The metaphor of the walk is a beautiful picture of this. A mentor walks with the mentored, leading, living, suffering, rejoicing, all alongside the mentored. I also appreciate Moore’s emphasis on friendship. We need more men (and women) to be mentors and friends in the Church of Jesus Christ.
Jeremy
Posted by
Jeremy W. Johnston |
8:36 p.m.