1 Timothy 1:1, 2 "Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the commandment of God our Saviour, and Lord Jesus Christ, which is our hope; Unto Timothy, my own son in the faith: Grace, mercy, and peace, from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord."
There seems to be an unspoken battle in many of our congregations that alienates one generation from the other. Whether it's over dress, attitude, or music style these divisions have caused many a Millennial to question their need for a church community. Hey, these folks have to compete on their jobs every day. The last thing they want to do is compete in a religious setting.
Things never really go out of style, they just skip a generation or two before they return. Our fascinations with controversial biblical subjects has driven a wedge between many who grew up in the church and are now away from it. These Millennials were taught many disciplines, but were never trained to be a disciple.
-They never had a spiritual mentor to teach them how to be instant in season and out.
-They never had an elder or deacon love them enough to show them how to overcome certain failures in their lives.
-They never had a seasoned veteran of the faith say something more than, "I told you so", without a sneer on their face because of their youthfulness and immaturity.
We've all been guilty in one form or another in letting someone down. Some of our greatest spiritual leaders have come from horrible backgrounds, yet still made it because they had a spiritual mentor or advisor to help them along the way. I look at my life and see the places where I have failed to disciple people and now I realize I can't undo those mistakes. I wish in some instances I had been a better mentor instead.
What is a mentor?
-Somebody who will love you when you succeed or fail.
-Somebody who cares enough about you to help you learn from every tidbit of life's unexpected journey.
-Somebody who will not judge you, but listen and offer helpful advice in times of despair.
-Somebody that will encourage you when you feel like quitting.
-Somebody that will pray for you, pray with you, and pray over you a fresh anointing when you're in a dry season.
-Somebody that won't give up on you even when you give up on yourself.
Elders of the church, we have a job before us. It's not about relinquishing a pulpit or keeping everybody in their proper place. It's about teaching, caring, and loving those who will and are filling our shoes. Millennials, we may have let you down before, but God help us to repent of our failures and give us one more chance to make it right. We need some Paul's in our lives, but we also need some Timothy's. One cannot exist without the other. Everybody needs a mentor at one time or another in their life. How about you?
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