I always had a heart for encouraging younger gals and sharing lessons of life with them. Even as far back as high school, I would take a few younger friends under my wing. We’re you a kind of this older mentor even from an early age too?
Once I became a Christian in college and returned home, I settled into my church and began work with the youth ministry. Two years later, my husband and I began living and working at a boarding school. Living in a dorm with 40 teenage boys from around the world made me pretty desperate for gals of any age, so I slipped over to the girl’s dorm one night a week to “officially” supervise study hours while seizing opportunities to mentor.
It was amazing to see how God took the heart I always wore on my sleeve and began using it to minister to these curious young women.
[clickToTweet tweet=”Have you experienced the way God has used your redeemed past to touch the heart of the next generation? #mentoring” quote=”Have you experienced the way God has used your redeemed past to touch the heart of the next generation?”]
Some of those girls came from broken homes and reckless relationships, full of fear about their future. Others came from well-caring families but had real concerns about what life would be like in college and beyond. As a newly married twenty-something, I had a bit of credibility in their eyes, so they naturally sought my advice. I used these times of answering their questions to also share my testimony.
Giving them a piece of my life and spiritual journey opened the doors to their heart, as they felt they could trust my experiences and opinion.
Over the years, my testimony has often been the launching point of my mentoring relationships, but it doesn’t stop there.
[clickToTweet tweet=”As we walk with the Lord, our life testimony becomes greater than our salvation story. ” quote=”As we walk with the Lord, our life testimony becomes greater than our salvation story. “]
Our redeemed stories become a way to testify of God’s extravagant grace, forgiveness, healing work, provision, and love. These stories bind us together and cause us to care deeply for one another — mentor to mentee, and mentee to mentor.
When we share our stories in a mentoring context, we deepen the relationship and open the door for life-changing discipleship.
And then, after the relationship is forged, then we get permission to speak into their lives. So let me ask, does that sound too complicated or overwhelming?
Being a mentor isn’t about having it all together.
It’s not about perfection or proving ourselves worthy. But it is about following Christ distinctly so that we can mentor biblically. When we answer this call to mentor, it’s from an overflow of our faith and a desire to watch God at work.
As mentors, we’re simply agreeing to co-labor with God in His kingdom work as we take up a front row seat to watch Him use us to impact the next generation. It’s about responding to His faithfulness through our lives and choosing to overflow His love and grace, truth and hope to those He’s already called us to impact.
Does that sound like something you’d like to see manifest in your life? Oh my, it will give you such a sense of purpose. But I know it’s not always easy to step into a mentoring role, even if you desire it. That’s why we make it easy for you.
If you’re ready to answer the call to mentor those God has brought into your life, inviting Him to use your story to open the door to His glorious work through investing into the lives of the next generation, then we’re here to help.
Join our next Better Together Mentor Training Program or enroll in our self-paced Impact Mentor Training Program. Both will give you the insight, skill, and confidence you need to mentor simply and biblically.
Make Mentoring Simple
Grab this super simple resource containing 100 life coaching questions that will equip you to reach the hearts of those you feel called to mentor.
