Imagine you get lost on a cross-country road trip. You have no working GPS and no map. You wouldn’t just keep driving aimlessly, right? I hope not! 

You would likely stop and ask for directions. Life is a lot like that road trip, and a wise mentor is who provides the directions to keep us on track.

There always has been and always will be a need for strong mentors. However, we are seeing a dramatic decline in mentor-mentee relationships. A recent national study found that more than 1 in 3 young adults said they grew up without a trusted mentor and wished they had someone to offer guidance. 

In Never Alone – Part 1, we focused on God’s promise to always be with His followers. He is our sole source of help. However, because God knows this life comes with great trials, He also instructs us to seek out wise spiritual growth mentors.

 

“The wise are mightier than the strong and those with knowledge grow stronger and stronger. So don’t go to war without wise guidance; victory comes from having many advisors” 

Proverbs 24: 5-6 

 

This proverb makes it clear that whether or not we win our daily battles will depend on the wisdom around us!

We are in a battle, every day, that can only be won by making wise choices. We battle pride. We battle envy. We battle immediate gratification, lies about our self-worth, and attempts from others to lead us into evil.

In a world where mistakes can be costly, the value of learning from a strong mentor cannot be overstated.

 

The Power of Mentorship

We see examples all throughout the Bible: Moses and Joshua, Elijah and Elisha, Paul and Timothy. Perhaps the greatest example, though, is from Jesus and His disciples. Jesus picked 12 men to mentor. He POURED into them and, due to His wise teaching and instruction, they changed the world. That is the power of mentorship! 

Wise advisors provide not only practical advice but also emotional and spiritual support, helping us to see situations from different perspectives and make more informed decisions.

Another key benefit of having wise advisors is being able to tap into their experiences. Those who have walked similar paths before us can offer invaluable insights that we might not have considered. Their experiences can highlight potential pitfalls and guide us toward better choices, saving us time, stress, and potential sorrow. 

In this age, people pay big money for advisors. We can easily find a mentor in just about every area of life – finance, fitness, career, leadership, and so on. What we really need, though, are more spiritual growth mentors. 

 

So, my question for you today is two-fold: Do you have someone actively pouring into your spiritual growth, and how can you intentionally seek or become a mentor to help others grow in their faith?

 

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Abbey holds a degree in journalism from Indiana University. Her favorite topics to cover are spiritual development, nutrition, and the importance of community and connection. Currently, she and her husband live in Michigan where she works in active ministry. In her free time you’ll likely find her nose deep in a book, leading group fitness classes, or experimenting in the kitchen.