The Benefits of Mentorship

What Are The Benefits?

Recently, I attended a conference for ministers, and many times from the many speakers, I heard mention of mentorship. Mentorship is not really something that is heard of in most circles these days. I tend to associate mentoring with the days of apprenticeship and trade learning. In our modern era, the focus tends to be on independent learning and achievement.

After attending this conference, I began to realize how much we still need mentors.

Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another. — Proverbs 27:17

Mentors are incredibly Biblical. We see examples of this especially in the New Testament within the early church. Paul mentored Timothy in ministry. This became a model for discipleship and missions. We can apply this same principle to mentoring the young people that are willing to learn from our expertise and life.

Just as we should be available to mentor, we need to allow our children to BE MENTORED. As our world becomes less community oriented, we need to ensure that our kids have mentors that will guide them in a trade, ministry, or skill.

In order to be a mentor, and an effective one, one must care. You must care. You don’t have to know how many square miles are in Idaho, you don’t need to know what is the chemical makeup of chemistry, or of blood or water. Know what you know and care about the person, care about what you know and care about the person you’re sharing with. — Maya Angelou

One of my mentors, Lisa, has a daughter that loves fashion and making clothes. Lisa hired a beloved friend that handmade dolls to give her daughter sewing lessons. That teacher become a mentor. She instructed not only in matters of sewing, but also in life lessons. She became a friend and confidant to Lisa’s daughter. It was truly beautiful to witness. It was important to Lisa that her daughter have a trustworthy, role-model that her daughter could turn to when she didn’t really want to go to mom.

In The Kingdom Code, a program that teaches kids how to make and manage money using Biblical principles, the writers emphasize the importance of mentorship in learning how to manage a business and money. The program points out that successful people of consult a knowledge mentor before making big decisions. In our highly independent society, this concept can truly change the way our kids learn to listen and seek advice.

Mentoring is a brain to pick, an ear to listen, and a push in the right direction. — John Crosby

Sometimes we forget the mentors that have instilled so much in our lives, thus, we falter is carrying on the mentorship cycle with our kids and others.

Think about the mentors in your life. How have these people changed your life?