GLO for The Ladies
Welcome to the gathering place for our faithful lady mentors. No matter how successful you are as a mentor, everyone needs to be refueled. Take some time, browse and see what you need to ‘fill up’.
Topics:
* Responding to Youth’s Bad Decisions
* What the Bible Says About Mentoring
* Mentor Like Jesus
* The Calling
How should I respond?
It will happen sooner or later. So what do you do when your mentee or mentee’s friend or family member has done something you disagree with on moral/religious grounds. Sometimes a direct message of disagreement may be in order. But other times, there may be more useful ways to help youth see their errors themselves.
Below are a few questions that can help lead a kid to the heart of an issue and to productive decision making in their own heart.
What do you think about what you/they did?
I can’t say I understand why you/they did that. Why do you think you/they did it?
How did that help you/their situation?
What kinds of problems may happen if they did it again?
Is there anyone who might get hurt by this decision
What did you learn through this?
If your family/God/hero saw you/them do this, what would they think?
How can this decision help you meet your goals?
Is there anything you would do differently based on what you know now?
Jesus did a masterful job asking questions to help people “see”. You can too.
What the Bible says about Mentors…
A Man Who Has God’s Favor
TGIF Today God Is First Volume 1 by Os Hillman
Thursday, February 23 2012
“…Let us go with you, because we have heard that God is with you.” – Zechariah 8:23
Few men of God have become extraordinary people of faith without the influence of mentors. A mentor is one who takes responsibility for the spiritual and, sometimes, physical care of another. It requires a commitment from the teacher and the student.
Elijah mentored Elisha. Elisha became one of the greatest prophets in the entire Bible. One of the primary reasons for this was Elisha’s hunger. Elisha wanted a double portion of Elijah’s spirit. It was this hunger that drove Elisha to be sold out to God’s purposes for his life.
I have been privileged to have had many mentors throughout my spiritual life. In each stage of my maturity, God brought new mentors who had unique gifts that the previous mentor did not have. God has given me the hunger to desire a double portion of those positive attributes of my mentors. This desire is sorely missing among many today. I fail to see the hunger among many who could be used greatly in the Kingdom. Instead, the cares of this world distract them. It is an attitude of a la carte versus an attitude of pressing in to the full measure of what God might have for them.
Who are the people of God He has placed in your life? Are you learning from them? Are you seeking a double portion of their anointing? What prevents you from gaining from their wisdom and experience? God may have brought them into your life to prepare you to be a man or woman of God with great anointing. However, there is a time of training and waiting to prove out your own faith.
And as a mentor to a Rise Up! kid, remember, they are watching you. And who knows? Maybe they want double of what you have as well.
Mentor Like Jesus
A book came out a couple years ago titled, Mentor Like Jesus. In this challenging book, Regi Campbell lays out compelling reasons for investing in the next generation. Here’s his premise:
More time with fewer people equals greater kingdom impact.
He proposes, “You don’t have to spread your energy and influence to every single person who wants to buy you a cup of coffee” and “God might actually be more honored by your spending time with fewer people.” Just rest in these thoughts for a minute. Let them sink in. They are profound yet freeing.
More time with fewer people equals greater kingdom impact.
It has a nice ring to it. And that’s exactly what you have decided when you stepped up to be a mentor. Let Mr. Joiner and I remind you of a few of the reasons why you may have become a mentor. This is especially true for those of you who may be frustrated with your mentoring relationship at this time.
Meaning says that what matters happens at a deep level and that it can affect people for a long time. As you watch your mentee grow and make better decisions over time (sometimes a long time), that is meaning.
The Calling
Iam a mentor. I minister to the largest mission field in the world. I mentor children.
My calling is sure. My challenge is big. My vision is clear. My desire is strong. My influence is eternal. My impact is critical. My values are solid. My faith is tough. My mission is urgent. My purpose is unmistakable. My direction is forward. My heart is genuine. My strength is supernatural. My reward is promised. And my God is real.
In a world of cynicism, I offer hope. In a world of confusion, I offer truth. In a world of immorality, I offer values. In a world of neglect, I offer attention. In a world of abuse, I offer safety. In a world of ridicule, I offer affirmation. In a world of division, I offer reconciliation. In a world of bitterness, I offer forgiveness. In a world of sin, I offer salvation. In a world of hate, I offer God’s love.
I refuse to be dismayed, disengaged, disgruntled, discouraged or distracted. Neither will I look back, stand back, fall back, go back or sit back. I do not need applause, flattery, adulation, prestige, stature or veneration. I do not have time for business as usual, mediocre standards, small thinking, outdated methods, normal expectations, average results, ordinary ideas, petty disputes or low vision. I will not give up, give in, bail out, lie down, turn over, quit or surrender.
I will pray when things look bad. I will pray when things look good. I will move forward when others stand still. I will trust God when obstacles arise. I will work when the task is overwhelming. I will get up when I fall down.
My calling is to reach boys and girls for God. It is too serious to be taken lightly, too urgent to be postponed, too vital to be ignored, too relevant to be overlooked, too significant to be trivialized, too eternal to be fleeting and too passionate to be quenched.
I know my mission. I know my challenge. I also know my limitations, my weaknesses, my fears and my problems. And I know my God. Let others get the praise. Let the church get the blessing. Let God get the glory.
I am a mentor. I mentor children. This is who I am. This is what I do.
Roger Fields
NOTE: Roger is the president of Kidz Blitz Ministries. You can discover more about Kidz Blitz kids/family events and curriculum at KidzBlitz.com