What Does a Mentor Do?

There is so much mentoring in Scripture. Fathers serve as mentors for sons, old men for young men, older women and widows for younger women, Paul for his young preachers, and Jesus for the apostles. There is so much talk today in church life about having and being a mentor.

What does a mentor do? If you realize you are in a mentoring situation, what are you supposed to do?

Here are three suggestions to say to those you mentor.

“I have found it to be true…” You have wisdom to be shared. It may be from years of studying the Scriptures. It may be from years of dealing with people. It may be from your own life. Share the truth of Christian life and ministry. Speak truth into younger men or women.  

“When this happened to me…” One reason you become a mentor is because you have a lot of life experience. Share that. It is so important as a parent to realize that there are those who have walked that road before you. Your mentor may have taken care of babies or raised teenagers. Mentors might know what it is to wade into the middle of a crumbling marriage. They could have taken middle-of-the-night phone calls. As a mentor, you have lived life situations. Share that experience.

“Come with me.” I believe this is absolutely the most powerful thing you can do as a mentor. Let people do life with you. I learned how to visit the hospital by going with my Dad. Much of my understanding of how to effectively shepherd was because I had experienced elders take me on pastoral work.  

Speak truth. Share your experience. Take them with you.

That is how mentors raise the next generation of leaders.