WEDNESDAY WEEKLY WORD...mentoring power

In today's society, we are told that the thing to do is "get ahead" and "do whatever it takes". I would imagine that business greats such as Bill Gates could tell you it takes alot more than that to be successful. For the past 6 years, I have been self employed...now I am NO Bill Gates, but I have learned a thing or two along the way. Wealthy I am not, but successful in my own right I am. (keep reading...)

Success is not always measured by your bank account. Success, many times can be measured by the lessons learned along lifes highway. I have learned alot of lessons on this adventure I call "life". I would not be who I am today without the people that have impacted me along the way. My mentors.

My mentors have not only taught me the ins and outs of the business, but spiritually speaking, I have had some mentors in my life that have shown me what faith, REAL faith is like. They have modeled Jesus Christ in every aspect of their living in front of me, therefore teaching me, molding me and giving me a desire to have an impact on someone else, just like they did for me.

In last weeks YOUR OPINION MATTERS POLL, I polled the readers the following question, "What do you think is critical in a mentoring relationship?" 83% of those voting said that a mentor should be able to be loyal, should love and be able to listen and a mentor should be able to look beyond faults.

Wow. That is a very tall order, now isn't it? Not just anybody can be a spiritual mentor. In the Bible, I think of Elisha and Elijah when I think of a mentoring relationship. In the book of 2 Kings, we can see that committment was the central focus of their relationship.

2 KINGS 2:2 "Elijah said to Elisha, 'Stay here; the Lord has sent me to Bethel.' But Elisha said, 'As surely as the Lord lives and as you live, I will not leave you.' "

Elisha is so committed to Elijah, that he would not leave him. But it almost appears that Elijah did not have the same committment as Elisha had. (writers note: I think that Elijah was just testing Elisha's committment) If you read further down, you will see that in the scriptures that two different times, Elijah told Elisha to "Stay" for the Lord was sending Elijah somewhere. But both times, Elisha insisted to stay by his mentors side.

2 Kings 2:11 tells us that with Elisha at Elijah's side, that a chariot of fire and horses of fire appear and the two men become separated, taking Elijah up to heaven in a whirlwind. Elisha has lost his mentor.

Reading this passage today reminded me of two things:
1. To be a mentor, we must be committed.
2. Secondly, that mentors come into our lives in different seasons. Mentors are not meant to be "forever". You can recognize a good mentor, if they teach you to teach others and then they pass the "mentoring" mantle on to you.

The illustration of Elijah and Elisha represent a good mentoring relationship. I wonder if being a spiritual mentor could be like the business motto of todays society....are we "doing whatever it takes?"  ...that is ~ to be a good, spiritual mentor to someone. Like Elijah was to Elisha?

I hope you have enjoyed this week's WEDNESDAY WEEKLY WORD. Why not study 2 Kings for yourself and see what God may reveal to you about mentoring someone in your life.