Being Mentored
“No one would want to mentor me.”
“I’m not a good enough Christian.”
“I’m not one of the ‘super talented’ that people want to invest in.”
These are just a few things you may be thinking when you consider what it would be like to be mentored. Just before you give up…consider this…..
Mentors don’t expect you to have it all sorted or to be a perfect Christian. They’re not perfect either, but they do want to see you making an attempt to grow.
Mentors certainly don’t expect you to be one of the ‘elite’…..but they do want you to be faithful, available and teachable.
Mentors also don’t expect you to know everything there is to know about your Bible, theology and the meaning of life, but they do want you to be honest with them, admitting who and where you really are.
Mentors want to share life with you for a while to see what God might do, but a shared life takes two!
Are you ready to give it a go?
Good trainees have several basic qualities:
A teachable spirit
Do you want to learn? Are you willing to read books and articles, listen to sermons and talk to people who can help you learn? When you have a humble openness to learn, experience new things and take on the challenge of the mentoring process, you show your Mentor that you are teachable.
A willingness to reflect
Reflection is integral to a transformed life. It’s good to learn new information about your faith from the Bible and your courses and it’s essential that you put what you have learned into practice. However, your Mentor is going to ask you some searching questions. They will include ‘doing’ questions…about what you are getting up to and what you think about that….but they will also include ‘being’ questions…..about what God is teaching you about Him, yourself and others. What are you learning? How is your learning changing you? Your Mentor may even ask you to write your ongoing thoughts down in a journal so you can track your progress.
Reflection, stopping and looking at yourself and being honest about where you are up to and what you are learning, can be challenging. It’s worth being challenged as it helps to to grow.
A willingness to ‘have a go’
Are you up for a Challenge? Do you want to learn new things or try out a different way of doing something? New experiences will broaden your outlook and give you different views on life, and this is what will help you to grow.
Don’t be afraid to “have a go”. Your Mentor will encourage you to try new directions spiritually, personally and emotionally and they will be there for you if you fail.
A heart for God
The reason for Mentoring is to grow, spiritually, personally and emotionally, and the foundation for this growth is your relationship with God. Your Mentor know they need God to help them to mentor you and will bring Him into the centre of your relationship. Your Mentor isn’t looking for you to be the perfect Christian but they want to see that your heart is to really want to know Him better, that you want what He wants and that Jesus is your hearts desire.
A reliable character
Your mentors may well be a busy person. If they are willing to invest time in you, you want to make the most of this time. Be there on time for your meetings, do what you say you are going to do and keep up to date with any course work you are doing together.
If you have to change your plans, make sure you keep them informed and give them plenty of notice.
An appreciative nature
Learn to be thankful to God for all you have and for all you are learning. Thank God regularly for your mentor, and remember to express your thanks to your mentor. They won’t be looking for your thanks, but if you send them the occasional ‘thank you’ note or buy them a small gift they will know that you appreciate all the efforts they are making on your behalf.
Being a good trainee is more about your character than your ability.
It’s more about where you want to be than where you find yourself now.
It’s more about building a good relationship than completing a set of tasks.
At its core, it’s about two people walking together for a while, helping each other to know God better.
Get yourself a Mentor, and get on the mentoring journey. You’ll be glad you did!