Stand up when I can't
Don't leave me hungry for love
Chasing dreams
But what about us?
Show me you're willing to fight
That I'm still the love of your life
I know we call this our home
But I still feel alone
("Lead Me," by Sanctus Real)
Revelations tend to hit me at two or three in the morning, when talking to good friends. This one was no exception. I have gone the whole of my Christian life without a mentor. I have had people of great influence in my life, and I do not want to belittle anything that they have done; they have helped me immeasurably and have been an integral part of shaping my character. I am grateful to them; they have taught me many things. But I have always wished and prayed for something more... and I have almost given up on finding it.
Perhaps it would be helpful if I gave my definition of a mentor. Early in my Christian walk, I looked long and hard for a mentor. But my search was in vain. Do you know why? Because first and foremost, a mentor is an initiator. A mentor is a person who can see in you what you cannot yet see in yourself. A mentor is a person who can see the potential through all the pride and pretensions, and who makes it the object of their life to draw that potential out into the open. I could ask a thousand people what they see in me; a mentor is a person who has seen it already. It didn't do me any good to go looking for a mentor... because the mentor was supposed to have been looking for me.
"So Elijah went and found Elisha son of Shaphat plowing a field. There were twelve teams of oxen in the field, and Elisha was plowing with the twelfth team. Elijah went over to him and threw his cloak across his shoulders and then walked away. Elisha left the oxen standing there, ran after Elijah, and said to him, 'First let me go and kiss my father and mother goodbye, and then I will go with you!' Elijah replied, 'Go on back, but think about what I have done to you." (1 Kings 19:19-20, NLT)
It is of no little importance that Elijah, the greatest prophet of his day, sought out his successor, Elisha. Elijah found his young protégé hard at his regular work; Elisha was no slacker. He was doing all that he knew to do. But Elijah knew, because God had revealed it to him, that Elisha was destined to do greater things. In one majestic and meaningful moment, the great prophet threw his own cloak over the shoulders of the young man and began to walk away--a clear invitation for Elisha to follow; to become all that Elijah was, and more.
For the next twenty years, Elisha would follow hard on Elijah's heels, seeking to become a holy man just like him. Elijah invested himself in raising up Elisha to lead after him; he poured himself into Elisha's life, and spent himself for the sake of that one young man. A mentor is not only an initiator; a mentor is also an investor. Do you think it is any small coincidence that Christ himself spent most of his earthly ministry with a group of just twelve un-extraordinary young men? And out of those twelve, he gave special attention to just three--Peter, James and John. What was going on there? Favoritism? No! Mentorship!
"'The person who trusts Me will not only do what I'm doing, but even greater things, because I, on My way to the Father, am giving you the same work to do that I've been doing.'" (John 14:12, MSG)
Jesus knew that He was not long for this world; so he invested what time He had in those who would carry on His work after He had returned to His Father. He gave all that He had in the short term, because He was thinking long-term; He saw far beyond the snapshot to the bigger picture. Christ taught his disciples; He talked with and listened to them. He spent countless hours with them. He prayed for them. He was not expecting an immediate return on His investment, and he received none--in His hour of greatest need, all but one of the twelve men he had poured three years of his life into, deserted Him. But all save one went on to become the greatest leaders history has ever known; their message has spread to the ends of the earth; they changed the world. This is the kind of self-sacrifice mentorship demands. To be a mentor is to invest your whole self in another person; it is a risk, and you may never see a reward. Count the cost! Is it worth it?
"'I will very gladly spend and be spent for your souls; though the more abundantly I love you, the less I am loved.'" (2 Corinthians 12:15, NKJV)
"Sometimes leadership is planting trees under whose shade you will never sit." -Jennifer Granholm
Mentors are not only initiators and investors; they are also inspirers. Their lives are exemplary; admirable and integrous. Their depth of character convicts and incites others to action. Their love for God is staggering. Other people see them and think, "I want to be just like them." Mentors have first been taught by God; passed like silver through the refining fires of trial and hardship. Their journey with God has been strenuous; they have been pushed to the very limits of their faith. A mentor is one who walks closely with God; who follows hard after Him. That intimacy, lived out, is what draws the attention of others. That is what puts an ache into the hearts of those who see. That is the reason Elisha left the oxen standing in the field; that is the reason Peter, James and John abandoned their nets. That is the reason the Apostle Paul could say:
"Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ." (1 Corinthians 11:1, NIV)
A mentor requires no other qualifications or credentials than a relationship with God and a call from Him. Christians are called to live lives of influence; they are called to mentor and to disciple! Feelings of unworthiness do not exempt anyone! Before he sought out Elisha, Elijah was hiding out in the desert, begging God to let him die. He was utterly discouraged and despairing. It took a glimpse of God's glory, and the intimacy of a whisper, to remind Elijah of his passion and purpose. And the first task God set him? Raising up leaders. (1 Kings 19:1-18)
So, Father, give me the strength
To be everything I'm called to be
Oh, Father, show me the way to lead them
Won't You lead me?
To lead them with strong hands
To stand up when they can't
So we can call this our home
Lead me, 'cause I can't do this alone
("Lead Me," by Sanctus Real)
Who, I wonder, will seek me out? I am hard at my regular work! Come and find me! Surely you can see something yet to be drawn out in me? Throw your cloak over my shoulders; I am willing to humble myself under you and be taught. Are you willing to spend yourself for my sake? I want to follow hard after you as you follow hard after Christ. Lead me!
This is not just my prayer; this is the prayer of many young people! Will you accept the call to mentorship?
This is not just my prayer; this is the prayer of many young people! Will you accept the call to mentorship?
