Becoming a mentor

The things that you have heard from me . . . , commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also. – 2 TIMOTHY 2:2

According to Homer’s Odyssey, when King Odysseus went off to fight in the Trojan war, he left his son Telemachus in the hands of a wise old man named Mentor. Mentor was charged with the task of teaching the young man wisdom.

More than 2,000 years after Homer, a French scholar and theologian by the name of Francois Fenelon adapted the story of Telemachus in a novel titled Telemaque. In it he enlarged the character of Mentor. The word mentor soon came to mean "a wise and responsible tutor" – an experienced person who advises, guides, teaches, inspires, challenges, corrects, and serves as a model.

Second TIMOTHY 2:2 describes spiritual mentoring, and the Bible gives us many examples. Timothy had Paul; Mark had Barnabas; Joshua had Moses; Elisha had Elijah.

But what about today? Who will love and work with new Christians and help them grow spiritually strong? Who will encourage, guide, and model the truth for them? Who will call young believers to accountability and work with God to help mold their character?

Will you become one whom God can use to impart wisdom and to help others grow toward maturity?

– DAVID H. ROPER

Thinking It Over

Who has helped you to grow in your faith?

How did that person help you? By teaching, example, or friendship? To whom can you be a mentor?

READ: 2 TIMOTHY 1:13-2:2

God teaches us so that we

can teach others.

The Bible in one year:

• EZEKIEL 4-7