How Essential Is It for a Christian to Have a Mentor?

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Donald Whitney wrote a book, Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life, was really helpful. One of the things he talks about is that when you are looking at the sphere of relationships that you have you want to have somebody who is a step ahead of you that is discipling you, mentoring you, helping you think of the next step in your walk with Christ. You also want to think of peers, the people who are walking beside you encouraging you and holding you accountable. And perhaps somebody new in the faith that you are pouring into, that you are discipling. He paints that picture of you are receiving, you also have these peers that you are walking with, and you are also pouring into others. That is a healthy picture of relationships.

So, when I’m discipling somebody, when you teach something, you always learn it more by getting it into your mind well enough that you can communicate it and help somebody understand it. When I am thinking of peers or accountability relationships one of the first verses that comes to mind is Hebrews 3:12-13. He says, “as long as it is called Today, encourage one another so you are not hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.” There is a sense in which the people around me are encouraging me. The church is a network of relationships where I am encouraging others and they are encouraging me in such a way that sin is not having that hardening effect but we are helping encourage each other to love and to good deeds. So that is an important part of the relationship I have in my life.

And also thinking through who is a step ahead of me. Philippians 3:17 Paul says, “follow my example.” 1 Corinthians where he says “follow my example as I follow Christ.” It is always good to have somebody to look to in order to understand what it actually looks like to live the Christian life. To have a good model. Nobody is perfect but to look at somebody who is a step ahead of you as they are trying to follow Christ you can figure out this is what it means to be a good husband, this is what it means to be a good wife, this is what it means to be a good parent, this is what it means to be a good employee at my office. Just looking for those good examples as they are seeking to follow Christ and encourage one another that way as well. 

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