Who Is Mentoring You?

“I think we could all use a Mr. Miyagi in our lives.” I will never forget this comment made by a reviewer years ago in reference to the original movie, “The Karate Kid.”  Mr. Miyagi was the soft-spoken, apartment handyman who befriends the teenager, Daniel, eventually becoming his mentor in martial arts. Under his mentoring, Daniel learns a lot more than karate moves. He learns how to have a life of self-control and balance, and he finds in Mr. Miyagi a replacement for the father that he lost.

Mentoring relationships are a popular theme in movies. Notable examples include: trainer Mickey Goldmill mentoring boxer Rocky Balboa, lawyer Ed Masry mentoring his assistant Erin Brockovich, Obi-Wan Kenobi mentoring Luke Skywalker in the use of the Force, Morpheus mentoring Neo in the reality of the Matrix, Professor Higgins mentoring the flower girl Eliza Doolittle, even the regal Mufasa mentoring the young Simba in “Lion King.”

Mentoring is a process in which a more skilled or experienced person serves as a role model, and teaches, encourages, counsels and befriends a less skilled and experienced person. Their purpose is to promote the professional and/or personal development of the less experienced person. Mentoring differs from teaching or coaching in that it is carried out within the context of an ongoing, supportive, personal relationship between mentor and mentee.

Often the mentee goes on to achieve far greater accomplishments than their mentor. You’ve heard of Oprah Winfrey, but who is Mary Duncan? She is the 4th grade teacher that Oprah Winfrey credits with being her mentor and a major influence in her success.  Winfrey said, “A mentor is someone who allows you to see the hope inside yourself. A mentor is someone who allows you to know that, no matter how dark the night, in the morning joy will come. I don't think anybody makes it in the world without some form of mentorship. Mary Duncan encouraged me and befriended me in so many ways. She had a very powerful impact on my early life.”

There are even instances of a person experiencing mentoring from a distance, having never actually met the mentor. Martin Luther King credits Mahatma Gandhi with being a major mentor in his life, particularly in the area of nonviolent protest and political action. In this case, Gandhi mentored King through his example of nonviolence in gaining India's freedom and his writings about that struggle.

Jesus Christ was a mentor to His disciples. He spent three years of His life intensively focusing on 12 men. He lived with them 24/7, taught them, answered their questions and modeled to them what life in God's Kingdom looked like by healing the sick, delivering the oppressed and performing other miracles. He even sent them out to practice what they were learning and gave them ongoing feedback when they returned. He was completely committed to their personal growth and development, and He loved each one of them. As a result, those men went out and changed the world forever.

Take a moment and think about who has been a major influence in your life. Who has mentored you? We continue to need ongoing mentoring throughout our lives. Who is mentoring you now? What people or influences do you regularly expose yourself to? For good or ill, those are your mentors. I hope Jesus Christ is one of your mentors, and that you pick your other mentors wisely. Your mentors shape your destiny. As Sir Isaac Newton said, “If I have seen further, it is by standing on the shoulders of giants.”

Please join us this Sunday at 9:00 AM or 11:00 AM. I am addressing the frequently overlooked area of mentoring in the church. For the next two weeks I will be discussing “Spiritual Parenting.”

Pastor Che