Mind Your Mentors
By Roger Carswell
Penhance High Street is overlooked by the statue of Sir Humphrey Davey, the distinguished 19th Century chemist. It was he who devised the Davey Lamp which saved so many miners' lives. He was a Christian man. On one occasion he was asked what was his greatest discovery. His brilliant reply was: ''Michael Faraday''. Sir Humphrey had found Faraday, an uneducated son of a blacksmith, taking notes at his lectures, and longing to study science. Michael Faraday had a brilliant mind that would one day eclipse even Humphrey Davey's. It is a great ability to spot ability, or the potential for it. The Lord Jesus chose twelve men with whom He would live, teach and train. Though He spoke to thousands, He did not feel it a waste to impart so much more to a tiny group, whose potential on the surface did not appear great. The Great Commission includes the words '' teaching them ''
The Apostle Paul followed Jesus' example.Writing his last letter to his young protege Paul says (in 2 Timothy 2: l -2) strengthen yourself, and then provide spiritual nourishment for others. It is a great thing to guard the message for ourselves, but vital to commit what we understand and know to others. We each need an open heart to the Lord, so we preserve the truth', and open hands to others so we pass on the truth. Timothy had learned from listening to sermons, studying the word, conversations with Paul and spending time with him. He had been disciples, restored, in the school of Christ.
I feel grateful to God for those who have made an impact in my life, by taking time. befriending and impacting their love for the Lord. There are numerous individuals who bothered when they needn't have done. Some will hardly be aware of the lasting impression they made, while others stand out because of their long term commitment to my spiritual growth. There are those who helped when I was young; there are others who still mentor me today, and I am grateful to the Lord and them. I wonder though, are younger Christians today enjoying the same privilege of being disciples? Could it be there are young people crying out for such help, but we are too busy. or blind to respond? The Navigators have repeatedly pointed out that 2 Timothy 2:2 contains four generations of Christians : Paul and Timothy, faithful people and ''others also''. They say they look for ''FAT people'', an acrostic for Faithful, Available and Teachable people. By looking for and investing in ''others also'', we can pass on abiding, biblical principles to a future generation. Mentoring has become an issue to talk about in Christian circles, but my plea is for action, so that across the nation, maturer believers will take on board the God-given responsibility to have unforgettable input into the lives of younger Christians.
This is something all of us can be involved in. I am convinced that there are many tender believers who long to have a role model and information/teaching on which to build their lives. Psychologist Abraham Maslow said there are four levels of learning: 1. Unconscious incompetence 2. Conscious incompetence 3. Conscious competence 4. Unconscious competence So how can we take people from the first to the fourth level? There are three vital factors: 1. The Subject Our aim is not to make clones. l remember preaching in the Yorkshire Dales one Good Friday. The leader of the meeting was a dear Yorkshire Christian. However, when he prayed, he did so in a Welsh accent! I later learned that he had 'sat under' the ministry of Dr Martyn Lloyd Jones for three years. Now, am not blaming Lloyd Jones, but in teaching and learning we have to distinguish between the essentials and the incidentals. Accents and mannerisms are incidentals! Neither are we seeking to reinforce our prejudices or bigotry. As has often been said, 'The main thing is that the main thing is to be the main thing.'' As mentors we have a responsibility to teach what is biblical, not merely cultural or fashionable.
I Corinthians 2:2 is indelibly written over all that I seek to do. Nor are we reproducing a commitment to ''our thing''. There are wonderful Christian organizations, denominations and churches, but Christ reigns over all. Our desire is to bring people to a deep knowledge of Him. Jesus said. '"It is enough for the student to be like his teacher.'' Christ-likeness is sufficient! Over the years, my thinking has developed. Some ideas I have rejected, some refined and most retained. By focusing on Christ and Him crucified, we can guarantee that what we are imparting is unchanging truth. We need to teach Christians how to handle the Bible and love in how to pray and delight in time spent with God; how to grow in wisdom and knowledge and understanding; how to avoid sinful pitfalls and foolish behaviour; how to be a vibrant witness to others radiating the reality of Christ in every scenario of life.
As well, we will want to teach people to think, to question, to learn and to work. As well as answering their questions, we will want to question their answers so that they know why they believe, as well as what they believe. 2. Our Selves The quality of our lives will either raise or ruin our ability to influence others. The responsibility and right to influence others derives from a close walk with God. Our integrity, and desire that the Lord should be glorified in the life of the one who is being centered is the qualification to be involved in the work. The warning of Matthew l 8:6 is a solemn one. The mentor will consider : What do l know, and what do I want these people to know? What do I feel, and What do l want these people to feel? What do I do, and what do I want these people to do? True teaching cannot be a regurgitation of lessons learned long ago, but must come from the refreshing overflow of the heart.
The manna in the wilderness soon became stale; it had to be gathered and used daily. Similarly, we need to give ''fresh manna'' to those we meet with. Dr Arnold, the acclaimed headmaster of Rugby School, asked ''Why continue to study for your pupils? You surely have enough to give them?'' He replied, ''It is not because l fear I do not have enough to give them, but because I prefer that they should be supplied from a running stream rather than from a stagnant pool.'' Some of the most exciting and fulfilling people we can meet are those older people who have decided not to stop learning. They are still growing. l can think of at least three ways which help us to go on learning: First. reading good books. Reading the Bible keeps us sound; reading books keeps us interesting. Prof. Verna Wright, who influenced me so greatly, was a voracious reader and could always talk about the books he had been reading that month as well as the Scripture he had read that day.
Then Warren Wiersbe's two books ''Walking with the Giants'' and ''Listening to the Giants'' gave me a thirst for the written word. And I began to read all he had written: he restored me through his writings. Young Christians will start with just one or two choice book. As Sherlock Holmes said, ''it is a great thing to start life with a small number of really good books which are your very own, but as we read we converse with the greatest minds of bygone decades''. Secondly, we are to learn to read people. There is so much to learn from everyone. To look and listen to people can teach great wisdom. Isn't one aspect of maturity to learn to see things as other people see them, and especially as God sees them?
The Book of Proverbs teaches us how God watches and weighs the world. It is true wisdom and teaches bow people are to behave. Thirdly. let us allow the Lord to read us. The Holy Spirit uses our soaking ourselves in the Word of God to mould us into the people of His making. He draws near in a special way as we commune with or talk about Him. ''Search me. O God, and know my heart; and see if there is any wicked way in me and lead me in the way everlasting'' is a prayer which God answers. The mentor's character is what produces confidence. Young people will not grow if they feel we are "as hypocritical as the last guy'', nor if they feel we are re-hashing that which we are supposed to say, but is not affecting our lives. True learning brings about change, and God uses able teachers whose resources are not merely found in their own abilities but in God's grace. Teaching which impacts is not only head to head, but heart to heart. For effective teachers there is no such thing as a small class. To regularly spend time with one or two, is of immense and eternal value.
By way of illustration, in l 947 Prof Chandrasekhar of Chicago University scheduled to teach a seminar in astrophysics. For him it involved considerable commuting twice each week, often in very wintry conditions. However, only two students signed up. The professor kept to his commitment. The students, Chen Ning Yang and Tsung-Dao Lee did their homework. Ten years later in I 957 they both won the Nobel prize for physics, as did Prof Chandrasekhar in 1983. Oh, the joy of being able to invest in the lives of others, who will in turn teach others also! 3. The Students Everyone who has had the privilege of being with the very young knows the truth of the Proverb 4 'Foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child''. Be that as it may, children do grow into maturity, as they learn to discern between the good and the best. Howard Hendricks of Dallas Theological Seminary said ''One of the greatest fears I have for my student after graduation is not that they will fail, but that they will succeed in doing the wrong things and reach the end of their lives, and discover that this isn't the destination they wanted and it can't fulfil them.''
Portia Nelson has written a piece entitled ''Autobiography in Five Short Chapters''. It reads:
Chapter l : I walk down the street There is a deep hole in the pavement. l fall in. l am lost ... l am helpless. It isn't my fault. It takes forever to find a way out.
Chapter 2: l walk down the same street. There is a deep hole in the pavement. l pretend l don't see it. l fall again. l can't believe l am in the same place, but it isn't my fault. lt still takes a long time to get out.
Chapter 3: I walk down the same street. There is a deep hole in the pavement. l see it is there. l still fall in . . .it's a habit. My eyes are open. l know where I am. It is my fault I get out immediately.
Chapter 4: I walk down the same street. There is a deep hole in the pavement. l walk round it.
Chapter 5: l walk down another street l plead with us to get to know young people and become an authority on their lives.
We need to spend time with them, even invest our lives in them, by being available and always welcoming to them. Again, if l may use Verna Wright as an example. I don't know that I have ever knew a busier man, but I never felt I was intruding on him, though l am sure I was! Nothing is more important. Verna would take me home after meetings and chat about the things of the Lord. Before leaving the car, he would always ask me to pray. He invited me for meals in his home, and to accompany him when he was preaching. Verna's car was, in many ways, my Bible College. He taught me the most basic principles after finding me as a new, young, unpredictable but very enthusiastic Christian. Years later, I regarded him as one of my best buddies (he loved that word!) and l still miss him immensely. Verna mentored many people like this. The challenge is whether I have passed on to others what he ought me. Interestingly, I loved the formal meetings which l attended, but l appreciated more the times with Verna over a meal table, or in his car.
There are needs and general characteristics of their age group. They are possibly balding in their minds with issues as big as suicide, direction in life, sex and the church. God's grace means that each individual has tremendous potential. To label someone may be to libel them. To write off people as being too shy or too self-confident, as a trouble-maker or a busy body, is to deny God's transforming power. l'm glad people were patient with me because l shudder at the memory of some of the things I said and did. Let us motivate people, but not out of guilt. Encourage student to learn, to be patient, and give them opportunities to serve in a way that will stretch them. The little ditty is true:
I hear and I forget;
I see and I remember; I do and I understand.
Practical Proposals Individually, could we pray that we would be able to meet regularly with an individuals) on a regular basis, either in a home, or MacDonalds or the like, and offer food. To have informal Bible study, or at least chat about the Bible, some prayer and fellowship/accountability. Times together are part of a growing together, as are fun times, and more fallow periods; all are part of building up the young person into a consistent walk with God. Nationally, l believe we could use a network of "Mentor Ministries'' to act as a catalyst encouraging discipline censoring, so that throughout the UK older Christians are taking seriously the need to set aside time to invest in young lives, not just expecting them to "do Church''. One-to-one or one-to-small group teaching is biblical, and proved, and needs to be worked again. Each of us can be involved.