3 Biblical Examples to Help You Grow as a Mentor

Are you currently mentoring someone? I hope and pray that you are. A mentor is an invaluable resource that helps people grow both personally and professionally.

How do you grow as a mentor?

Excellent question.

In the spirit of seeking wisdom and guidance from the Scriptures, let’s reflect on three biblical experiences that can help you grow as a mentor:

1. Walking with God in Obedience: The life of Abraham serves as a powerful example underscoring the essential value of trusting in God’s plan rather than our own. Trusting in God’s plan is a key lesson to convey to those you mentor. In order to teach it, you must first learn it. What better example to learn from then Abraham, known as the father of faith for three major religions —Judaism, Islam, and Christianity. If you’ve learned any Bible at all, you will recall that God called Abraham to leave his homeland and travel to a place that He would show him. Abraham’s journey, as documented in Genesis 12:1-4, teaches mentors the importance of faith and obedience to God’s guidance, even when the path is unclear. Sometimes when you are mentoring someone, you don’t have the answers they need in the moment. Other times, you may not even have anyone to mentor and you wonder if God will bring you someone to love, guide, and grow. These are the days that you lean on the Lord, even if you don’t know where He is leading you.
2. Facing Trials with Faith: Listen, life is hard. We know it. However, your mentee might not. The story of Job is a profound testament to enduring faith amidst severe trials (Job 1-2). Job’s experiences teach mentors about the depth of faith and resilience in the face of challenges. As mentors, we can learn from Job’s patience and unwavering trust in God, even when everything seems lost. This is a lesson vital for mentors to share with our mentees as we help them to navigate their own trials with steadfast faith.
3. Empowering Others through Selfless Leadership: Jesus’ washing of the disciples’ feet (John 13:1-17) is a powerful example of servant leadership. Jesus, the Son of God, humbled Himself to serve His disciples, setting an example that leadership is not about wielding power, but about serving with love and humility. This experience is a crucial lesson for mentors because it teaches us the importance of empowering others by putting their needs first and thereby fostering an environment of mutual respect and growth.

As mentors, when we incorporate these experiences—walking with God in obedience, facing trials with faith, and empowering others through selfless leadership—we are able to provide more profound, compassionate, and effective guidance, reflecting the heart of God’s teachings to those they mentor.

Oftentimes, we teach best what we need to learn most.

Rainer Bantau

So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth.

1 Corinthians 3:7 (ESV)

Mentoring is a lot like gardening. You have to plant seeds, water them, nourish them and trust the Holy Spirit for any resulting growth. I think for some people this comes more naturally than for others. It’s why we need to depend on Him to help us.

Abundant blessings—

Make sure and tell somebody about Jesus today!

Rainer Bantau —The Devotional Guy™