Now What-Yearly Mentorship

 Now What Series

Yearly Mentor-In Your Steps

Philippians 4:8-9

Question: Have you ever had to follow in someone else’s footsteps?

Intro: No one wants to be the guy after “the guy.” There can be so many expectations that have been established by your predecessor. From following the likes of Tom Brady to Nick Saban, the weight of being the next guy can become overwhelming. Now, imagine being the guy to continue the Gospel mission after Paul or Peter. Timothy had to take that role, as well as Titus. However, doing God’s work is never about us, but rather it is about being Spirit led to direct the spread of the Gospel. While the Holy Spirit is the ultimate reminder and teacher, we need earthly vessels to encourage, teach, and direct us throughout this mission. Also, we must look to invest in the next generation to help mentor them to grow in their callings. 

Philippians 4:8-9: “8 And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. 9 Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me—everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you.”

Continue Your Focus: Focus for my dogs depends on what is happening around them that stimulates their mind. If I am eating, they are laser focused on me, waiting for any moment in which food may fall. Bruzer, my Boxer, will have slobber dripping from his mouth into a puddle on the floor. He is carefully waiting in anticipation for even the smallest of morsels to hit his mouth. However, if I take either Bruzer or Stanley for a walk, maintaining their focus is tougher. They will wander all over the road, looking to chase squirrels, smell a bush, or eat something they found on the ground. As Christians, we must look to develop a high level of focus. Our main point of focus will determine what will influence us in this life.

In this letter, Paul encourages the Church in Philippi to focus on things that are a reflection of Christ. Paul takes on the role of teacher and mentor in many of his letters. Whether he was writing to whole groups, or specifically to individuals like Timothy, Titus, or Philemon, Paul was focused on each person becoming a reflection of Christ and living as Christ would have lived. Likewise when we have a Godly, Jesus-focused mentor that person is going to give us advice and direction that focuses on the kingdom mindset. Make sure to pay careful attention to what they are saying, and examine it against God’s Word.

While this verse tells us to focus on many things, it can be summed up in this easy statement, “Think About God.” God tells us to “Be Holy, for I am Holy.” When our thoughts are focused on God, we see things in the way God sees them. When we listen to a mentor that is directing us toward God, we begin to praise the Creator and not the mentor. Be careful to measure everything that your mentor says to the Word of God. If it doesn’t measure up, just politely and privately ignore it. As we listen to our mentor, measure everything to focus on God. It is important to remember that we are following Christ more so than a Godly mentor.

Follow a Godly Example

Paul is encouraging his audience to not only remember what he has taught them, but also to place it all into practice. Paul as much as anyone in history established a Godly example for anyone to follow. Paul even states in another letter that those who imitate him are imitating Christ. The weight of this is two-fold. Any mentor we follow and listen to should be an example of Christ, as well as any mentee that we have should be looking to follow our Christ-like attributes.

What is the point of having a godly influence in your life if you don’t practice what they teach? Paul wanted the Philippian church to put into practice what he had taught them. As we dive into a relationship with a mentor, we need to measure and practice what they have taught us. If we have a mentor and don’t listen to what they are saying they are just a vent for our problems in which we might as well say that we do not care about their wisdom. We must learn to value Godly mentorship and seek their wisdom and knowledge to be applied to our own lives.

As mentioned previously, it is important to mimic the Godly attributes of our mentors. We must learn to seek the Holy Spirit’s discernment when looking to apply lessons that our mentors are trying to teach us. When we see our mentors performing Godly commands and actions, we must strive to put those actions into place in our own lives. Godly action demonstrates our faith, in which James echoes by saying I will show you my faith by my actions. As we try to mimic their behavior that reflects Godly values, we can utilize them to help us when we fall short. While our mentor is not to replace Christ as our Lord, the mentor should be the best physical example of Christ we can utilize to grow ourselves into the image of Christ.

I have heard it said that every Christian should have Paul/Peter in their lives as well as a Timothy and/or Titus. While it is good to have a mentor we can use to develop our own walk, it is equally as important that we look to pour wisdom and knowledge into others. Please hear me though, be careful to become influential if you are still young in the faith. Paul once again cautions new believers to be careful, if not hesitant, to begin to preach and lead because they may become too prideful and fall. 

Seeking a mentorship is not something that any Christian should take lightly. Seek God’s wisdom and direction before committing to a mentor or to being one yourself. The worst place we can be is to follow or lead someone astray from the faith. The Word speaks on this in regards to causing children to fall away. How we lead others matters and mentorship carries extreme weight. May God give you the strength, wisdom, and endurance to take on both roles.