Mentorship: True Children of Faith

Scripture:

1Tim. 1:2 ¶ To Timothy, my loyal child in the faith:

Observation:

The greeting here to Timothy identifies him as a loyal child in the faith, or a true child of faith.  Timothy is not a biological son, but is, instead the result of a relationship founded on a love for God.  He has been raised up spiritually and now is able to take on roles and responsibilities of leadership.

Application:

I frequently hear people discuss the topic of mentoring.  Young people are looking for those who will mentor them, and new believers are seeking out those who are more mature in their faith to lead them along this Christian journey.  There is a great desire to have this spiritual connectivity that results in a nurturing and growth that leads to greater maturity. 

We are hungry these days to grow spiritually and to learn more about what it means to walk with the Lord in today’s world.  The world is changing at light speed and the things on which we had been able to depend may no longer even exist.  However, in the midst of change there is a constant which is found in our walk with the Lord.  Unfortunately there don’t seem to be enough believers consistent in their walk with the Lord to show us the road map for faithfulness.  Yet, I believe that this is exactly what those around us are hungry to experience; followers of Jesus Christ who are committed and living out a life of faithfulness in the midst of chaos — and we want them to be our mentors because we have a desire to be true children of faith.

For those who are in a position to mentor there is a responsibility to pass on the faith.  There must be an intentionality in mentoring the next generation and helping to shape or form them into loyal or true children of faith.  This takes time and effort and a willingness to invest in the lives of others.  This is about helping people in their personal walk with Jesus Christ but then, also helping them know how to be Christian leaders in the world and this takes on a practical flavor.  How do we respond when we are under personal attack?  How do we lead others? How do we dress appropriately? 

We see throughout the word that there were those who were willing to take others other their wing and raise them up as loyal children in the faith.  No, they were not their biological children but they knew that they were called to mentorship.  In this way the faith was passed along. 

May we be willing to allow those of more mature faith to mentor us, and then may we be willing to be intentional about mentoring and raising up a new generation of children in the faith — and all, to the glory of God.

Prayer:

Lord, thank you for those who have invested their lives in me.  Amen.